Why Men Don't Get Mental Health Help When They Need It

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The stereotype that men don’t need help - especially mental health help - persists to this day. Evidence shows fewer men seek out assistance for mental health challenges compared to women.

So, what keeps men from seeking mental health support?

What Barriers Prevent Men From Seeking Mental Health Assistance?

Men don’t go to therapists or mental health counselors for a variety of reasons, including pressure around societal norms, reluctance to talk about their problems, embarrassment, andshame.

Bombarded with messages from their culture or heritage, many men end up wanting to conform to a traditional masculine gender role. As a result, men are trapped because they don’t want to show weakness or vulnerability, especially when it comes to mental health problems.

As a result, women are more likely than men to receive any kind of mental health treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data brief.

Do Men Seek Help For Physical Health Challenges?

Unfortunately, men aren’t going to physicians for regular medical care, check-ups, or run-of-the-mill injuries either. A national survey found 72% of men would rather do household chores than go to the doctor. Once there, they are not forthcoming about their issues.

For example, headaches, like migraines, affect men. But because migraines are invisible and have been viewed historically as a woman’s illness, men are less likely to consult a doctor or get diagnosed withmigraine.

What Are The Major Mental Health Problems Affecting Men?

Depression isn’t the only major mental health problem affecting men. The incidence ofschizophreniais much higher in men than in women, and the age of onset is three to four years earlier for men than women.

Another big mental health problem for men concernsalcohol addictionandsubstance abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that men are more likely than women to use illicit drugs, and that the use of these drugs are “more likely to result in emergency department visits or overdose deaths” for men than women.

When it comes to male suicide, the 2022 statistics from The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are sobering. The rate of suicide is highest in middle-aged white men, with white males accounting for almost 69% of suicide deaths. Men’s deaths attributable to suicide are almost four times higher than for women.

What Does Depression Look Like in Men? Here Are 15 Signs and Symptoms

What Are the Treatments for Men’s Mental Health Problems?

While there are barriers for men to overcome that are often related to socio-cultural influences, mental health professionals usually offer the same options for treatment to men and women. They includemedication,psychotherapy, and/or lifestyle changes.

There are a wide variety of psychotropic medications available to treat common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. While it’s best to see a psychiatrist - a doctor who specializes in mental health and the prescription of psychotropic medication - some men might feel uncomfortable seeing a mental health specialist. In this case, even consulting with your regular doctor can get you on the right path towards the best medication for you.

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, can also be extremely helpful when dealing with mental health issues. Some therapeutic approaches, such ascognitive behavioral therapy(CBT), are action-focused and can be time-limited, sometimes only lasting eight to 12 weeks; this could be a good introduction to therapy for men who are otherwise unsure about committing to long-term treatment.

Diet,exercise, andgetting good sleepare examples of helpful lifestyle changes that can positively impact mental health. Mental health professionals may recommend a variety of lifestyle and self-help approaches, including:

Meditation Tips and Potential Benefits for Men

Solutions That Encourage Men To Find Help for Mental Health Challenges

Thanks to telehealth, likeonline therapyand low-costtherapy apps, technology has made it easier and more convenient for men to seek discreet help for mental illness.

While work still needs to be done to end the stigma about men seeking mental health services, a major change in terms of improving help-seeking behavior through education, motivation, increased use of male role models, and the increased building on positive masculinity should be employed to make a difference.

Learning more about mental health and mental illness can help men decide to seek support, and being encouraged to do so can bolster their determination. In addition, seeing other men talk about mental health and model good mental hygiene can help men feel less alone in their struggles and be more likely to speak up about what they are experiencing.

Here are some organizations that men might find useful should they need mental health assistance right away:

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Chatmon BN.Males and Mental Health Stigma. Am J Mens Health. 2020 Jul-Aug;14(4):1557988320949322. doi: 10.1177/1557988320949322. PMID: 32812501; PMCID: PMC7444121.Men and Mental Health. Mental Health Foundation. (n.d.). https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/men-and-mental-healthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, July 29).Products - data briefs - number 419 - October 2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db419.htmVankar, P. (2024, November 8).Percentage of men receiving mental health treatment or counseling U.S. 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/673172/mental-health-treatment-counseling-past-year-us-men/Cleveland Clinic. (2024, April 30).Cleveland Clinic Survey: Men will do almost anything to avoid going to the doctor. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/09/04/cleveland-clinic-survey-men-will-do-almost-anything-to-avoid-going-to-the-doctorU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a).Men and Mental Health. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-healthU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a).Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depressionLi, X., Zhou, W., & Yi, Z. (2022, August 30).A glimpse of gender differences in schizophrenia. General Psychiatry. https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/35/4/e100823U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, May 4).Sex and gender differences in substance use.National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/substance-use-in-women/sex-gender-differences-in-substance-useSuicide statistics. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2024, August 26). https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/Sagar-Ouriaghli I, Godfrey E, Bridge L, Meade L, Brown JSL.Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Men: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Behavior Change Techniques Within Interventions Targeting Help-Seeking.Am J Mens Health. 2019 May-Jun;13(3):1557988319857009. doi: 10.1177/1557988319857009. PMID: 31184251; PMCID: PMC6560805.

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Chatmon BN.Males and Mental Health Stigma. Am J Mens Health. 2020 Jul-Aug;14(4):1557988320949322. doi: 10.1177/1557988320949322. PMID: 32812501; PMCID: PMC7444121.Men and Mental Health. Mental Health Foundation. (n.d.). https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/men-and-mental-healthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, July 29).Products - data briefs - number 419 - October 2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db419.htmVankar, P. (2024, November 8).Percentage of men receiving mental health treatment or counseling U.S. 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/673172/mental-health-treatment-counseling-past-year-us-men/Cleveland Clinic. (2024, April 30).Cleveland Clinic Survey: Men will do almost anything to avoid going to the doctor. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/09/04/cleveland-clinic-survey-men-will-do-almost-anything-to-avoid-going-to-the-doctorU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a).Men and Mental Health. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-healthU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a).Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depressionLi, X., Zhou, W., & Yi, Z. (2022, August 30).A glimpse of gender differences in schizophrenia. General Psychiatry. https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/35/4/e100823U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, May 4).Sex and gender differences in substance use.National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/substance-use-in-women/sex-gender-differences-in-substance-useSuicide statistics. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2024, August 26). https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/Sagar-Ouriaghli I, Godfrey E, Bridge L, Meade L, Brown JSL.Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Men: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Behavior Change Techniques Within Interventions Targeting Help-Seeking.Am J Mens Health. 2019 May-Jun;13(3):1557988319857009. doi: 10.1177/1557988319857009. PMID: 31184251; PMCID: PMC6560805.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Chatmon BN.Males and Mental Health Stigma. Am J Mens Health. 2020 Jul-Aug;14(4):1557988320949322. doi: 10.1177/1557988320949322. PMID: 32812501; PMCID: PMC7444121.Men and Mental Health. Mental Health Foundation. (n.d.). https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/men-and-mental-healthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, July 29).Products - data briefs - number 419 - October 2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db419.htmVankar, P. (2024, November 8).Percentage of men receiving mental health treatment or counseling U.S. 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/673172/mental-health-treatment-counseling-past-year-us-men/Cleveland Clinic. (2024, April 30).Cleveland Clinic Survey: Men will do almost anything to avoid going to the doctor. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/09/04/cleveland-clinic-survey-men-will-do-almost-anything-to-avoid-going-to-the-doctorU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a).Men and Mental Health. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-healthU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a).Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depressionLi, X., Zhou, W., & Yi, Z. (2022, August 30).A glimpse of gender differences in schizophrenia. General Psychiatry. https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/35/4/e100823U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, May 4).Sex and gender differences in substance use.National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/substance-use-in-women/sex-gender-differences-in-substance-useSuicide statistics. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2024, August 26). https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/Sagar-Ouriaghli I, Godfrey E, Bridge L, Meade L, Brown JSL.Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Men: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Behavior Change Techniques Within Interventions Targeting Help-Seeking.Am J Mens Health. 2019 May-Jun;13(3):1557988319857009. doi: 10.1177/1557988319857009. PMID: 31184251; PMCID: PMC6560805.

Chatmon BN.Males and Mental Health Stigma. Am J Mens Health. 2020 Jul-Aug;14(4):1557988320949322. doi: 10.1177/1557988320949322. PMID: 32812501; PMCID: PMC7444121.

Men and Mental Health. Mental Health Foundation. (n.d.). https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/men-and-mental-health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, July 29).Products - data briefs - number 419 - October 2021.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db419.htm

Vankar, P. (2024, November 8).Percentage of men receiving mental health treatment or counseling U.S. 2023. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/673172/mental-health-treatment-counseling-past-year-us-men/

Cleveland Clinic. (2024, April 30).Cleveland Clinic Survey: Men will do almost anything to avoid going to the doctor. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/09/04/cleveland-clinic-survey-men-will-do-almost-anything-to-avoid-going-to-the-doctor

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a).Men and Mental Health. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-health

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.-a).Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression

Li, X., Zhou, W., & Yi, Z. (2022, August 30).A glimpse of gender differences in schizophrenia. General Psychiatry. https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/35/4/e100823

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2022, May 4).Sex and gender differences in substance use.National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/substance-use-in-women/sex-gender-differences-in-substance-use

Suicide statistics. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2024, August 26). https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/

Sagar-Ouriaghli I, Godfrey E, Bridge L, Meade L, Brown JSL.Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Men: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Behavior Change Techniques Within Interventions Targeting Help-Seeking.Am J Mens Health. 2019 May-Jun;13(3):1557988319857009. doi: 10.1177/1557988319857009. PMID: 31184251; PMCID: PMC6560805.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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