Mental Health in Men: Deconstructing Masculinity and Emotional Silence

Mental health in men can be complex given the difference in societal expectations and communal safety between men and women. Biologically, men and women differ in both physical attributes and neurological functioning. While these distinctions can influence how each gender experiences mental health, the social environment strongly shapes emotional expression. 

Society and the Impact of Gender Roles

Society shapes human behaviour and influences how individuals interact with others. Within these communities, gender roles function as social standards that define expectations for men and women (Affleck et al., 2018). Over time, our understanding of gender roles has grown more nuanced as societies embrace progress, yet traditional norms continue to hold influence.   Men have societal standards where they are expected to lead with assertiveness and courage — traits that leave no room for emotions to be celebrated (Lynch et al., 2018). Acknowledging men’s emotions is often perceived as a threat to traditional masculinity.

Gender roles and expectations create social stigmas that discourage men from becoming in touch with their feelings and process emotions (Affleck et al., 2018). As masculinity is rooted in strength, presenting emotions, especially negative ones, can be seen as weak. From childhood, some boys are taught to mask certain behaviours that showcase vulnerability as an attempt to shape them into strong individuals. Such behaviours can include crying, asking for help, shyness, or being upset. These traits are tied to feminine behaviour, which is seen as diminishing one’s masculinity (Affleck et al., 2018). Social stigmas are extremely damaging to boys and men when they are shamed for being vulnerable.

From a young age, when the emotions of boys are downplayed, they may feel the need to conform to societal norms of masculinity (Lynch et al., 2018). This can lead to avoiding and suppressing emotions, which can have serious repercussions such as substance abuse, self-harm, difficulty fostering relationships and emotional avoidance (Lok & Law, 2025). They may feel significant discomfort discussing mental health, and have unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance abuse, inability to establish meaningful connections, or violence (Lynch et al., 2018). 

Creating supportive spaces: Women to Men & Men to Men

When people negatively react to the display of emotions, men may feel like they need to conceal them in order to avoid judgment. Often, men are ridiculed or looked down upon for sharing their feelings, either in a social or one-on-one interaction. Men and women contribute differently to the reactions of male vulnerability, making it critical for us to know how to navigate it appropriately. 

A woman negatively reacting to vulnerability from a man can look dismissive when they believe displaying emotions is solely reserved for females. If you, as a woman, find yourself having an interaction with a male surrounding mental health and vulnerability, take a moment to acknowledge and release any gendered assumptions. Understand that men experience all things human, and they also have the ability to feel emotions. Try to create a safe space that encourages open conversations and fosters empathy. Compassion is a bridge to support. 

In order for men to support other men with combating mental health and toxic masculinity, they need to be able to face these problems individually first. It takes real courage to understand your own emotions and recognize how they make you feel. The expression of vulnerability and emotions is a healthy and necessary way of living. Once you develop a healthy foundation of how to navigate your emotions, reassess the dynamic of conversations you take part in surrounding mental health. Take a step back and examine how you engage in discourse with other men about masculinity and vulnerability. Do you find yourself in discomfort? Do you feel the need to change the topic of discussion? 

When these topics do arise, try to encourage other men to have open and raw conversations. It does not necessarily mean they need to share intimate and elaborate details about their feelings; it can simply be them just listening. This can take them one step closer to feeling more comfortable expressing themselves when they see active examples of healthy reactions to vulnerability. 

If you find yourself in a situation where men are shaming other men for being expressive, take on the challenge to advocate. This is not simple to do, but having this intervention can hold men accountable and highlight the importance and urgency of mental health. When men fail to support one another in addressing the issues that affect them collectively, it deepens division and reinforces harmful patterns, limiting opportunities for genuine solidarity and growth.  

Building Community

As integral as it is for men to do internal work to heal from toxic masculinity, community support is essential for men healing from toxic masculinity. There are various spaces available for boys and men to access support for mental health. A direct resource would be to firstly surround yourself with people who encourage discourse about emotions and vulnerability, rather than those who tend to avoid or shy away from it (Lynch et al., 2018). If you don’t have people you can connect with, seek external communities such as support groups or therapy. 

Self-care is a critical component to sustaining a healthy mental state. Challenge restrictive social norms by allowing yourself to rest when needed. This will enable you to reset when you’re feeling overwhelmed and enter into a shifted mindset. 

Navigating your mental health is not an overnight challenge to conquer, so remind yourself to take it one day at a time. You are a human experiencing every raw emotion, so don’t be afraid to express it. 

References 

Affleck, W., Carmichael, V., & Whitley, R. (2018). Men’s mental health: Social determinants and implications for services. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(9), 581-589. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743718762388 

Lok, R. H. T., & Law, Y. W. (2025). Men’s mental health service engagement amidst the masculinity crisis: towards a reconstruction of traditional masculinity. SSM-Qualitative Research in Health, 100596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100596

Lynch, L., Long, M., & Moorhead, A. (2018). Young men, help-seeking, and mental health services: exploring barriers and solutions. American journal of men's health, 12(1), 138-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988315619469