Breaking the Silence

A HEALTHY YOU

Breaking the Silence

Why Men’s Mental Health Matters

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re discussing mental health more now than we ever have before. People are becoming more open about their mental health, and we’re all learning better ways to support each other. Men still fall behind women in terms of treatment and reporting of mental health issues. While often underreported, millions of men experience depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD, substance use disorders, and other mental health challenges, yet many delay or avoid seeking help. This tendency to hesitate to ask for support could be due to stigma or social pressures that men often confront.

While conversations around mental health are growing, men often face unique barriers to seeking help: societal expectations, ingrained stigmas, and a general lack of awareness contribute. This is an issue as nearly 1 in 5 men experience some form of mental health condition at some time in their life. Suicide rates among males are alarmingly higher, with men accounting for nearly 80% of all suicides. (Source: CDC, 2022). Reportedly, 41.6% of men with any mental illness, compared to 56.9% of women, receive treatment.

Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us that no one should struggle in silence. Everyone deserves support, respect, and a path to recovery. There are a lot of charities, organizations, and groups that do important work around men’s mental health.

Men’s mental health organizations in the United States and abroad include:

Men’s Health Month is more than just a week of awareness and it’s also an opportunity for men to openly discuss health challenges, whether mental or physical, and to break the silence that often surrounds them.

Other Resources

Turnwell Mental Health

This article by Turnwell Mental Health provides information about how to support men’s health and look out for signs and symptoms of mental health struggles.

Lyra Health

Lyra Health provides a complimentary downloadable guide on Breaking the Stigma Around Men’s Mental Health in your workplace.

About the Author

Cynthia Conigliaro has been in the field of health and wellness for over 25 years. She has a BA in Psychology from College of the Holy Cross and graduate degrees in Social Work (MSW) and Business (MBA) with a focus in both Leadership and Marketing from Boston College.

Cynthia is the founder of her corporate wellness presentation business Work Well Webinars, a company that designs and delivers wellness presentations virtually and in person to companies, schools, hospitals, libraries and groups across the country. Cynthia’s wellness presentations span body, mind and spirit as she takes a holistic approach to wellness.

For the past six years Cynthia has been an active volunteer at the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA) where she is on both the Programs and Marketing committees. Cynthia is an Ambassador for the Corridor 9/495 Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Programs Committee for the chamber. Cynthia volunteers at All Paths as an Infertility Support Group Leader and Facilitator coaching resilience, stress management and mindfulness for women dealing with infertility and pregnancy loss.

A HEALTHY YOU