Men's Mental Awareness Month

Written by: Destiny Fowler

A topic that is not talked about much is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. Men’s Mental Health month is in June in the US, November in the UK and has been an official holiday since 1994, which is only 3 months away. Since men are often unable to reach out for help to get the support they need, men’s mental health is overlooked. That’s why there is a Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, to bring more attention to men’s mental health.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, In 2021, men died by suicide 3.90x more than women. On average, there are 132 suicides per day. Which is why everyone needs to start caring for men’s mental health, especially other men. A lot of men have been taught to hide their emotions, to " man up”, to not show weakness which is seen by other men that it’s a lack of masculinity so they bottle everything up until it’s too late. Which is why I believe that we should not be teaching our kids, our boys that they can’t cry or show emotions.

What do we do to celebrate Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month? Spread Awareness, encourage seeking help, addressing issues, like gender norms and men not being able to reach out for help. This month should be a reminder that we should keep men’s mental health in mind year-round. 

Black men are most likely to not seek treatment for their mental health and even when they do, they don’t receive the best care. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Black or African American men ages 15-24. Black men have so many expectations on not showing “weakness.” Being told that they can’t cry and show emotion, these ideas are pushed on them the most. Which is why Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month is so important. We need to break the stigma around men’s mental health.