According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), men with mental illness are less likely to have received mental health treatment than women.  What exactly is impacting men’s mental health?

Research shows that social anxiety from return to work, social isolation from remote working and suffering from general anxiety disorders are all situations that can impact male work colleagues. (Mckenzie et al; 2018).

Even societal pressures effect men’s mental health. For example, there is still an expectation for men to provide for themselves as well as their family or partner. When a man is incapable of doing that, society often views them as ineffective.

Several research papers show that middle-aged men do not know who to reach out to when experiencing distressing times.  Bryant-Bedell and Waite (2010) in their qualitative study of middle-aged men with depression reported that men described feelings of loneliness, sadness, and distress and actively sought emotional support, wanting to share these feelings with loved ones. Simply put, many men did not know how to talk about their feelings or felt embarrassed to do so. Similarly, Liang and George (2012) highlighted how some men with depression wanted to talk to family or friends about their personal difficulties but had few or no people in their social networks with whom they trusted to share their feelings.

The workplace can be a big indicator of men’s mental health. It is vital that every company provides mental health support for their staff. Mckenzie et al.; 2018 shows that their positive employee attitudes increases company performance. Both company performance and employee attitude continue to cause each other to increase exponentially.

Online platforms like Talkcircle are important in business settings, to encourage men to speak to licensed psychologists and know that they have a safe space to reach out to. Feeling supported in the workplace will improve men’s personal life and in turn improve the workplace environment.

References:

• Bryant-Bedell K., Waite R. (2010). Understanding major depressive disorder among middle-aged African American men. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(9), 2050–2060
• Liang T. K. L., George T. S. (2012). Men’s experiences of depression and the family’s role in gender socialization: A phenomenological study from urban South India. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43(1), 93–132.
• McKenzie, S. K., Collings, S., Jenkin, G., & River, J. (2018). Masculinity, Social Connectedness, and Mental Health: Men's Diverse Patterns of Practice. American journal of men's health, 12(5), 1247–1261. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988318772732