This is sad but not surprising.
A new report by Pilot, titled Man Up and get over it – Australian Men’s Health Laid Bare – has revealed the often silent struggles faced by men across the country in reconciling societal pressures, body image, and mental health challenges. A key finding? Over half of the men surveyed experienced anxiety and stress, while 46% have battled depressive moods – yet nearly 1 in 5 won’t seek professional help due to embarrassment or lack of awareness.
https://missingperspectives.com/posts/mental-health-men-report-pilot/
If you spend much time online, you’ve surely noticed how often very popular men on social media or in podcasting spread the message that therapy is weak, that men need to be more resilient and “manly” and stop whining about depression and anxiety.
Australia is no different than the US in this regard.
Sadly, we see the results of that:
“The Pilot report revealed that men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, often linked to unaddressed mental health struggles”
This reluctance to get help kills people. The societal norm that says it’s weak for men to seek professional help, that we should be strong and stoic in the face of every situation, kills men.
Is that what we want? It would appear that some do want that based on their words and the judgment they toss at any man willing to disagree with this take.
I’m not one of them. I don’t want anyone to die when it can be prevented.