Key Takeaways Key Takeaways

  • Men in the U.S. face a severe mental health crisis, with suicide rates four times higher than women. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened men’s mental health, leading to increased rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.

  • Black men and gay men experience unique mental health challenges due to systemic racism, discrimination, and cultural stigmas. These barriers contribute to higher rates of mood disorders, substance use, and suicide among these groups.

  • Experts agree that seeking help is the most crucial step for men experiencing mental health issues. Addressing these issues shows strength and is vital for achieving a balanced and happy life.

From Stigma to Support: The Urgent Need for Men’s Mental Health Awareness

Men’s mental health is a critical issue that warrants significant attention. Men in the United States die by suicide at a rate four times higher than women, yet they are diagnosed with Depression and Mood disorders at much lower rates. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the crisis of men’s mental health. During the pandemic, U.S. men reported slightly lower rates of anxiety than women but had higher rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. The pandemic’s uncertainty, loneliness from social distancing, financial stresses, and relationship challenges contributed to increased rates of sleep difficulties, alcohol and substance use, and PTSD symptoms among men.

Historically, men were only allowed to express anger or sexual prowess and were expected to be strong and stoic.

-Cindy Speakman, LCSW

Consequently, in 2020, the rates of men seeking mental health care services increased more than five-fold over the prior year, surpassing the rates of women seeking such services. However, by 2021, only 40% of men with a reported mental illness received mental health care services, compared to 52% of women, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Even when men seek mental health care, it often falls short. Over 60% of men who died by suicide in Canada and the U.S. had accessed mental health services within the previous year. According to mental health care experts, social stigma and fear of judgment are barriers for many men from seeking help.

“Historically, men were only allowed to express anger or sexual prowess and were expected to be strong and stoic,” says Cindy Speakman, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who practices in the State of California. According to Speakman, men feel a lot of pressure to be providers, work long hours, and “suck it up” when they’re feeling sad, upset, lonely, anxious, etc. This has impacted both their physical and mental health in negative ways, such as social isolation, risk-taking behaviors, and loneliness.

Diverse Struggles: Mental Health Challenges Among Black Men and Gay Men

Subsets of men, such as Black men and gay men, face unique mental health challenges. According to the American Psychiatric Association, gay men experience higher rates of Mood Disorders, Substance Use, and suicide than heterosexual men. These adverse outcomes are linked to family rejection, systemic discrimination, and internalized homophobia, compounded by barriers to treatment such as negative experiences with clinicians, socioeconomic status, and marginalized identities.

Black men also face significant challenges, including economic, healthcare, and educational disparities, systemic racism, and social injustice. From 2010 to 2020, Black people had the largest increase in suicide rates, with a 60% rise among 10-19-year-old Black boys, constituting a national emergency.

Cindy Speakman says, “For gay men, there has always been the stigma that they aren’t really men, and that their relationships weren’t valuable or recognized. Heterosexual men may feel threatened by gay men, and historically there has been a lot of animosity between them. Gay men may be rejected by their families, their religious community, losing jobs or friends as the result of coming out as gay. These additional stressors may cause them to have increased rates of Depression, social isolation, and suicidal ideation. It is imperative that they feel safe with a therapist who is LGBTQ+ affirming, so they may express the fullness of their feelings and experiences.”

If you’re unsure about getting help for mental health because of how others might judge you or if you’re scared of looking weak, remember that recognizing and dealing with mental health problems shows strength, not weakness.

-Victor Nwagwu, PMHNP

According to Victor Nwagwu, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in Virginia, Black gay men might feel like they don’t belong with Black people or the LGBTQ+ community. The problems of racism and not being accepted can make them feel bad and afraid. Understanding these hard problems is important to help these groups in the best way.

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Tips on How to Get Started and Seek Help

Experts universally agree that deciding to seek help is the most crucial step for men experiencing mental health issues.

“If you’re unsure about getting help for mental health because of how others might judge you or if you’re scared of looking weak, remember that recognizing and dealing with mental health problems shows strength, not weakness. Mental health is as important as physical health, and asking for help means you’re taking action to make yourself better. Lots of guys go through similar problems, and asking for help can give you the support you need to handle life’s tough times. Don’t let old-fashioned ideas stop you from getting the support that’s right for you. Putting your mental health first is crucial for a happy and balanced life,” says Nwagwu.

Here are 7 tips from Victor Nwagwu for men to be more in touch with their emotions and open up about their mental health:

  1. Acknowledge that feelings are okay, and it’s normal to feel things. Be okay with feeling weak sometimes.
  2. Be there for each other, have real talks with others, share your feelings first.
  3. Learn about mental health and share info with others.
  4. When feeling stressed, try quiet time and take deep breaths. Do physical exercises to feel good.
  5. Connect with others and aim to make strong friendships. Join groups for help and support.
  6. Get help by seeing a mental health care professional.
  7. Think about what’s normal and question what’s seen as “manly.”

Finding the right mental health care provider can be challenging for everyone, but it’s especially difficult for men. For men of color or gay men, this challenge is even greater due to additional barriers such as cultural stigmas, discrimination, and a lack of culturally competent providers.

LifeStance Health offers specialized mental health services tailored for men, recognizing their unique challenges. Their providers are experts in men’s health care, LGBTQ issues, and the specific needs of people of color. LifeStance ensures culturally competent and inclusive care, addressing the diverse mental health concerns of their patients. By focusing on these specialized areas, LifeStance Health provides supportive and effective treatment, making it easier for men to access the care they need and deserve.

Authored By 

LifeStance Health

LifeStance is a mental healthcare company focused on providing evidence-based, medically driven treatment services for children, adolescents, and adults.

Reviewed By

Nicholette Leanza, MA, LPCC-S

Nicholette is a faculty member at John Carroll University’s Clinical Counseling program, and she is also the host of the LifeStance podcast, Convos from the Couch.

Contributed By

Victor Nwagwu, PMHNP
Victor Nwagwu, PMHNP

Victor Nwagwu is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in Virginia who has been practicing since 2023. Victor utilizes a patient-centered approach to a trauma-informed type of care. He is a certified mindfulness informed practitioner (CMIP) that utilizes mindfulness skills to provide supportive psychotherapy during medication management. Victor is skilled in MI, active listening, and cultural competence. Outside of work, Victor enjoys soccer and traveling.

Cindy Speakman, MSW, LCSW

Cindy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who practices in the State of California. She received her Master s in Social Work from CSU, Long Beach, and has been licensed since 2015. She provides individual psychotherapy to adults, and has experience treating: Grief and Loss, Anxiety, Depression, Chronic/Life-Limiting Illnesses, Life Transitions, Codependency, Religious/Spiritual Abuse, LBGTQ+ issues, Women s Issues, Older Adults, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Postpartum issues, Parenting, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Anger Management, Low Self-Esteem, and ADHD. She is a Certified Bereavement Counselor and provides individual and group grief and bereavement support.

Cindy is trained in Healing After Loss, a support group curriculum, for individuals grieving the loss of a loved one. She is also trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, for treatment of Anxiety Disorders. She incorporates relaxation techniques, and mindfulness practices to assist clients in reducing their anxiety, and increasing their ability to focus on their goals, better manage their symptoms, and learn how to implement healthy coping skills. Cindy may assign homework for clients to work on in between sessions, as much of therapy occurs outside of the 50-minute session.

Cindy is excited to be able to offer her skills to provide therapeutic and healing services to you. It’s in the stars, it s been written in the scars on our hearts, we re not broken, just bent, and we can learn to love again. -P nk!