There is a recognized gendered societal and judicial narrative that surrounds males and mental health. According to the World Health Organization, mental health concerns are “almost identical for men and women,” yet “gender differences exist in patterns of help-seeking” behaviors. Meaning, that males experience comparable mental health struggles to that of females yet face significant obstacles that prevent them from obtaining proper professional support. This reduced willingness to obtain support for males is largely in part due to the constructed idea of masculinity, which holds that males cannot show emotions for fear of being seen as weak or less of a man. While females do tend to be more expressive with their emotions, males may show higher cortisol responses and blood pressure levels in response to stressors. These biological indicators suggest that males internally respond to their emotions yet refrain from outwardly showing them, leading to emotional suppression. This inability to express emotions, caused by the blatant displacement of the masculine experience, has been linked to reduced immunity, cardiovascular health concerns, memory loss, difficulties concentrating, increased substance use, and increased irritability and anger in male individuals.

This population also often does not know the correct language to express their feelings effectively because they have rarely been encouraged to explore their own emotional experiences. As a result, males regularly suppress feelings of depression and assume that emotional shifts are abnormal or associated with a character defect. It has also been implied that males often do not seek professional help because available services are aligned with erroneous masculine social standards that compare asking for support with weakness and shame. While many individuals grapple with expressing themselves, males, in particular, are often explicitly instructed to refrain from showing their emotions.

Literature exploring the realities, consequences, and help-seeking behavior of males in need, while still limited, is starting to grow into a meaningful collection of work. We need to understand the socially assembled nature of masculinity and how it affects males of all ages and our collective society. By better understanding the actual experiences of males, we can begin to take action within our communities and larger institutions to advocate for the mental health of males and support them as they come forward with mental health needs. It is necessary to recognize the influence of gender roles associated with violence and problem behaviors even for those in the helping role, including mental health professionals, law enforcement agencies, medical experts, public health leaders, and policymakers. There is a need to educate society about the confining nature of masculine philosophies and their connections to health risk behaviors. By doing so, the public can begin to reshape perspectives about males and mental health and help in creating a better world for us all.