The article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.

Men and boys everywhere are struggling with their mental health. Whether they’re gay, straight, black, white, and everything in between and beyond. But why? Well, it’s quite complicated.

The simple answer is that there are certain stereotypes of masculinity that society perpetuates and that can cause a lot of harm.

The longer answer is that gender roles are incredibly complex and so it takes a bit of diving into to fully get at the root of the problem.

So, this article will explore how and why men and boys are affected by societal ideals of masculinity and what we all can do to help.

Male Mental Health 101

Society has a relatively straightforward view of masculinity. Although things are changing, this view is still largely dominant, at least in Western societies.

You know what this looks like. It’s the action hero with a chiseled jaw, hulking biceps, and a deep voice. It’s a type of masculinity that doesn’t tend to show emotions unless they are negative ones such as violence or jealousy.

Think about all the expressions that are repeated every day that continue to spread this conception of masculinity. When boys and men hear stuff like “boys don’t cry” or “man up,” they’re being taught a certain way of being. And, unfortunately, this masculinity doesn’t allow for weakness.

Slowly but surely, however, some things are slowly starting to change. For example, the most recent Batman film had the most vulnerable and emotional Batman/Bruce Wayne yet.

All this said, the mental health of men and boys is quite complicated, so this article will take a closer look at why boys and men lack support and how we can help improve the situation. And if you need more guidance, there are plenty of resources available nowadays, such as BetterHelp, thanks to the internet.

Why Exactly Are Boys and Men Falling Behind with Mental Health?

Fear of Being Judged

When you grow up constantly feeling like you’ll be judged for your actions, it leads you to conform to the norm. And normative masculinity happens to be quite harmful in many cases.

Boys and men naturally want the approval of their peers, their brothers, their father figures, etc. That desire for belonging can lead men and boys to act in certain ways out of fear of negative judgment.

Ultimately, boys and men may not get the help they need for fear of looking weak and being excluded from the group.

Insufficient Resources

Oftentimes, boys and men lack the same resources that women may have concerning mental health. Mental health campaigns often target women, as do pharmaceutical ads for depression. Plus, popular culture often features more depressed women than men in shows, movies, literature, etc.

In general, men and boys have not been given the same resources that can help educate them about mental health. Between their fear of judgment for expressing vulnerability and this lack of resources, it’s no surprise that boys and men have not sought help as frequently as women.

Biology’s Role

On a biological level, boys and men differ from women. When expressing anger, boys and men may choose more destructive and more escapist tactics, for example. They will generally engage in riskier behaviors such as substance use, fast driving, etc.

So, while society plays a role in all this, there are also biological differences to how boys and men feel about vulnerability and expression of emotion.

How We Can Help Improve Male Mental Health

So, what can we do?

We all need to work actively to combat the stigma that exists regarding male vulnerability. We should encourage boys and men to get whatever help they need. We need to characterize getting help as a brave choice rather than one to be mocked.

We can also get rid of clichéd expressions like “man up” and “boys don’t cry” and drop them entirely from our vocabulary. Call them out as well when you hear them.

In this way, we can all help with improving male mental health.

Conclusion

It should be considered being a “strong man” to be vulnerable and display emotions. After all, this is simply human behavior, not simply the behavior of one sex.

While there are many contributing factors to the problem of male mental health, society plays a large role. As members of society, we can all help by combating the stigma against boys and men getting help and being vulnerable. We should also aim to deconstruct toxic masculinity when and where we can.