LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to open up conversations about the mental struggles men face and break down societal norms that may keep men from seeking help.
The goal is to break down the barriers men face.
“It’s a real neglected topic,” said Thomas Ledoux, a clinical psychologist at Emplify Health by Gundersen. “There’s a lot of obstacles that get in the way of them acknowledging that they have mental health problems.”
Traditionally, men are expected to lead and be providers. That expectation has fostered a sense of pride in generations of men that has left many closed off to their emotions.
“The image of men that we can’t show weakness, right?” said Chia Roger Vue, a community health worker at St. Clare Health Mission. “And if we do show weaknesses, that shows that we aren’t who we are.”
With the fear of being unfit to lead a family, many of these emotions are left unchecked. According to Discovery Mood and Anxiety Program, 30.6% of men in the U.S. have suffered from a period of depression in their lifetime, many times disguised with other habits.
“A lot of men’s mental health issues present through behavioral issues—whether it be addictions and other avoidant behaviors—when there’s more mental health issues that are in the background,” Ledoux said.
According to the American Psychological Association, among U.S. men ages 18 and older, 20% experienced mental illness in 2024. Those numbers only speak to those who speak out, however, and many still struggle in silence, others downplaying their problems.
“I think a lot of men would compare themselves to other people in their life,” Ledoux said. “Like, ‘well, I have it good, I have it better than this other person, so who am I to feel this way?'”
According to the CDC, 75% of suicides in the United States are committed by men, with suicide being the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15-34. This shows that more resources are needed to combat the issue.
Vue explained several strategies in the fight against high rates of suicide.
“Just education, educating our youth, building strong family ties,” Vue said. “More support groups.”
Signs show that the stigma is slowly being taken apart, however.
“It’s part of the conversation,” Ledoux said. “It is not as taboo. We have a language for it. I have young men who say, ‘I talk with my friends regularly about our mental health.'”
As Men’s Mental Health Awareness grows, more resources continue to surface in the community, but those resources only come to light if the conversations continue.
Anyone finding themself in a mental health crisis may always call or text the 988 hotline.
More resources:
WXOW wants you to know that you are not alone. There are community resources you can turn to for help.
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