As awareness about diversity has grown, so have conversations about men\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n
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Original story from<\/strong><\/em><\/a> Forbes and Mind Share Partners, by\u00a0<\/strong>Bernie Wong<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n November is widely known as \u201cMovember,\u201d attributable to the organization that\u2019s dedicated to raising awareness about health issues specific to men such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide and mental health. When it comes to mental health, \u201cthe numbers for suicide are actually going in the wrong direction in the U.S., as well as globally,\u201d shared Mark Hedstrom, Movember\u2019s U.S. executive director. \u201cAbout 800,000 individuals take their own lives globally and 500,000 of those are men. When we look at the trend in the U.S. context, about 75% of those suicides are men.\u201d<\/p>\n We talked with Hedstrom further as well as Dr. Zac Seidler, Movember\u2019s director of health professional training, to learn more on what\u2019s contributing to the unwavering stigma surrounding men\u2019s mental health both in and outside of the workplace.<\/p>\n Traditional beliefs about what it means to be a man have historically focused on a stoic confidence, discouraging emotional expression. In a\u00a0Movember study<\/a>\u00a0conducted this year, 58% of men reported that they think society expects them to be emotionally strong and not show weakness in front of others. This has real impacts\u2014Mind Share Partners \u201cMental Health at Work 2019 Report<\/a>\u201d\u00a0<\/em>found that men were significantly less likely to have sought treatment for mental health despite similar rates in overall prevalence of mental health symptoms.<\/p>\n According to Seidler, financial and career fears based in gender stereotypes play a part in the ongoing stigma surrounding men\u2019s mental health as well. In the Movember study, 34% of U.S. men fear their job could be at risk if they discussed their mental health at work. \u201cFor many men, holding down a job and being able to provide and take care of their family is still a central part of being a man,\u201d Seidler explained. \u201cIf they feel they aren\u2019t living up to that standard, they class themselves as failures.\u201d<\/p>\n While gender norms are changing\u2014with an increase in stay-at-home dads, men\u00a0reporting<\/a>\u00a0a desire to spend more time with their families, and dual household incomes now the norm\u2014old beliefs are still hard to break, and are\u00a0negatively tied<\/a>\u00a0to physical and mental health outcomes. Fortunately, more public examples of modern leadership using\u00a0vulnerability and transparency<\/a>\u00a0as a tool to champion culture change have emerged, and we predict these perceptions to shift over time.<\/p>\n Paralleling the end of outdated stereotypes about men are conversations about \u201ctoxic masculinity.\u201d While strategies to end these unhealthy beliefs and behaviors are essential, Hedstrom warns that leading with this language can put men on the defensive rather than offering actionable solutions. \u201cWe’re not saying that there aren’t things that men need to do differently. That’s absolutely why we’re here.\u201d Hedstrom said. \u201cWe believe that men can focus on positive masculinity.\u201d<\/p>\n Leaning on positive traits, like altruism, has played a key role in Movember\u2019s marketing initiatives to reach men and address the stigma. One example is their \u201cGrow a mo, save a bro\u201d campaign, which calls on men to grow a mustache (and teaches them how<\/a>) during the month of November to encourage conversations about men\u2019s health.<\/p>\n This approach leverages both fun and seriousness, as Hedstrom explains: \u201cThe fun is the mustache. We’re taking a very masculine feature\u2026 some call it gamifying a man’s face, and get them to be competitive with each other to all of those things and tie into a real authentic connection.\u201d The serious side is what Movember calls internally a “Trojan horse,\u201d where the fun approach allows men to engage a more serious conversation, ultimately bringing awareness to challenges they face.<\/p>\n As awareness about men\u2019s mental health has grown, so have conversations about issues of mental health and diversity within these communities. Specifically, Mind Share Partners\u2019\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0found that LGBTQ+ respondents were more likely to experience symptoms of every mental health condition like anxiety or depression compared to non-LGBTQ+ respondents, and transgender respondents twice as likely.<\/p>\n \u201cThe effects of traditional masculinity on gay men, trans men, non-binary, and other gender expressions are important to address in this conversation,\u201d Hedstrom acknowledged. In response, Movember has dedicated tailored content such as the \u201cMo LGBTQ+ Fundraising Challenge\u201d and featured stories like LGBTQ+ actor and producer\u00a0Justin Mikita<\/a>\u00a0who shared his struggled with anxiety and depression. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of inherent shame in the queer community, and as a gay man, I know that many of my friends and those within the LGBTQ community have had to go through a journey with their mental health, including myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Mind Share Partners\u2019\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0found that LGBTQ+ respondents were more likely to experience symptoms of every mental health condition like anxiety or depression compared to non-LGBTQ+ respondents, and transgender respondents twice as likely.<\/p>\n \u201cThe effects of traditional masculinity on gay men, trans men, non-binary, and other gender expressions are important to address in this conversation,\u201d Hedstrom acknowledged. In response, Movember has dedicated tailored content such as the \u201cMo LGBTQ+ Fundraising Challenge\u201d and featured stories like LGBTQ+ actor and producer\u00a0Justin Mikita<\/a>\u00a0who shared his struggled with anxiety and depression. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of inherent shame in the queer community, and as a gay man, I know that many of my friends and those within the LGBTQ community have had to go through a journey with their mental health, including myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Hedstrom also shared how his own lens of masculinity has changed over time. \u201cI\u2019m a Gen-Xer and I wasn’t really attuned to how I was raised with the lens of masculinity within my own family.\u201d Despite his father having had depression his whole life, it was only in the past seven years when his father began to struggle more that Hedstrom recognized its impact. \u201cI’ve moved to a very different conversation with my father and my brothers, as well as my mother. And that navigation\u2014with three boys who are all [Gen] X-ers and our inability to have these conversations and showing our emotions\u2014has dramatically changed in those five years.\u201d<\/p>\n Generations and the LGBTQ+ community are just two of many groups and identities with unique experiences and needs when it comes to mental health. These conversations at\u00a0the intersection of mental health and diversity, equity, and inclusion<\/a>\u00a0will only grow in coming years.<\/p>\nWhat it all means for men\u2019s mental health at work<\/h2>\n