Understanding Men's Mental Health: Breaking the Silence

Jul 25

4 min read

Updated: Oct 24

Before we dive into this topic, I have a question for you. Reflect on it and answer honestly. If you are a man, what changes have you made to your habits and lifestyle due to the awareness raised during men's mental health month? If you are not a man, how have you changed the way you treat or relate to men because of this awareness?

It's no secret that suicide rates have been rising since 2000. Africa still bears the highest burden of suicides.

Almost 70% of people who commit suicide are men.

The largest age group affected is young people aged 15–29, with adolescents aged 15–19 especially at risk. These individuals are often seen as our strongest. However, these numbers tell a different story. Strength does not make us superhuman. There is a type of strength that builds a person up and another that quietly hollows them out. The latter often wears the same face as the former. It appears as composure, capability, and reliability. This version of strength is often praised, rewarded, and expected. Yet, for many, it has become one of the most dangerous ideas in modern life.

Men’s Silence: Stoicism as Strength

Globally, men die by suicide at roughly twice the rate of women, a gap that widens in some regions. A significant share of this burden is carried by men who were never given permission to express their feelings until it became a crisis. This pattern is particularly challenging to address. It is not simply a matter of men refusing to seek help. Data from crisis services shows that many men who die by suicide had been in contact with a health service in the year before their death. However, their underlying distress was never fully addressed.

A recent analysis of over a million crisis text conversations found that fewer than one in five texters identified as male. Yet, boys and men were more likely to mention suicide directly when they did reach out. The strength that men are taught—self-reliance, stoicism, and never asking for help—does not prevent distress. It only delays others from discovering it.

Health Workers’ Devotion: The Expectation of Endless Capacity

Medicine trains its professionals to function under pressure. This capacity is genuinely valuable in emergencies. However, the same culture that fosters excellent clinical judgment also produces silence about personal limits. A doctor who admits exhaustion risks being seen as less capable. A nurse who requests a lighter rotation may be viewed as not committed enough. The result, as burnout data repeatedly shows, is a workforce that continues to perform competently long after their internal reserves are depleted. Health workers, by training and temperament, are among the least likely to seek care for themselves, even though they are surrounded by care all day.

Mother’s Love and Attention: Strength as Expectation

Postpartum depression affects an estimated 10 to 15 percent of mothers worldwide. However, this global figure masks significant regional variation. Studies across Nigeria have found rates ranging from roughly 11 percent to over 40 percent, depending on the region and population studied. A Lagos-based study recorded a prevalence of 35.6 percent among postnatal women. Lack of help with newborn care and an unsupportive partner were both strongly linked to higher risk.

Motherhood carries its own version of the strength trap. A new mother is expected to recover from childbirth, produce milk, manage a household, and appear grateful and glowing—often within days of one of the most physically and emotionally demanding experiences a body can endure. Sadness, resentment, or overwhelm are often treated as ingratitude rather than as recognizable, treatable conditions. Many mothers carry postpartum depression in silence because naming it feels like failing at the one role they were told mattered most.

In all three groups, showing struggle is treated as a failure of character rather than a normal human response to an abnormal load. Each role is defined partly by endurance, and each pays for that endurance in the same currency: delayed help, hidden suffering, and often preventable outcomes.

The Importance of Listening to Your Body

Even outside these categories, many people are under constant pressure. As individuals, we must listen to our bodies. Real strength lies in recognizing our limits and not pushing ourselves past the breaking point. Rest is not a sign of weakness. The first step to taking care of your mental health is to care for your physical body. Rest when you are tired and make it a routine. Nourish your body to keep it strong. Exercise to build resilience, and seek help when needed. You cannot change what you do not identify. Keep track of your health metrics—your weight, sleep duration, exercise time, pulse, and blood pressure. Fortunately, you do not have to do this manually. Technology can assist you. By monitoring these metrics, you can easily spot when things are going downhill and take action.