The Mighty Logo

12 Mental Health Messages All Men Need to Hear

The most helpful emails in health
Browse our free newsletters

In 2013, 41,149 Americans died by suicide.

In 2013, 77.9 percent of Americans who died by suicide were men.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the suicide rate has been about 4 times higher among men than among women for years now. Yet, men are still less likely than women to seek help for mental health issues.

So on International Men’s Day, let’s talk about men’s mental health.

Here are some messages you or a man in your life might need to hear:

1.

2. I found that with depression one of the most important things you could realize is that you’re not alone. You’re not the first to go through it. I wish I had someone at that time who could just pull me aside and [say], ‘Hey, it’s going to be OK.’” — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, on “Master Class”

MEN

3.

4.

5. “To combat depression, you must get help. Asking for help is strong because it leads directly to staying alive, which is our goal. Not asking for help is as fear-based a decision as a human being can make and can lead you swiftly in a bad direction.” — Rob Delaney, comedian, in “Prevention.”

quotescover-JPG-25

6.

7.1 out of 4 of us are affected by mental illness at some point in our lives, yet near two-thirds of us will never seek help — especially men. We pride outselves on courage and the ability to never show weakness, but mental health touches us all.” — Brandon Marshall, NFL player, in a Bring Change 2 Mind PSA.

men5

8.

9. “De-stigmatizing it is not equivalent to trivializing it. De-stigmatizing it involves saying ‘The fact that you feel this way is not a character failing,’ ‘The fact that you are having these problems doesn’t reflect that you aren’t trying hard enough,’ or ‘The fact that you are going through this doesn’t mean you are a pathetic loser.’” — Andrew Solomon, writer, on The Good Men Project

FMENA

10.

11.

12. “I am no less a man because there is an obstacle too high or wide for me to cross. I am no less a man because I may weep openly. I am no less a man because I fear. I am no less a man because I am mentally ill. I am no less a man because only I get to decide what it means for me to be a man. I will not be defined by a label. Instead, I choose to define the labels applied to me.” — Shawn Henfling, writer

MEN23

For more information on men’s mental health, visit Heads Up Guys.

Thinkstock image

Originally published: November 19, 2015
Want more of The Mighty?
You can find even more stories on our Home page. There, you’ll also find thoughts and questions by our community.
Take Me Home