Men's Mental Health Awareness

Men's mental health has been tucked away in silence for centuries, even today, in our advanced society. When we search online for stories on mental health topics, such as depression, we can find numerous personal blogs written by mostly women. While men also share their stories, it's in small numbers.

Of course, both men and women equally have emotions, yet, whether culturally, societally, environmentally, or just by our personalities, we express them (or don't) differently. Even the way we socialize from birth through adolescence can equip or strip us of the necessary communication tools we need going into adulthood. Therefore, mental well-being is not only about being physically healthy but socially, too. 

The World Health Organization has declared suicide to be a global epidemic. In 2020, the rates were well over 800,000 worldwide. The lack of awareness has heartbreaking consequences when it comes to men's mental health. Statistically, men seek professional help for emotional well-being at a drastically lower rate than women.

Men also make up for 79% of all deaths by suicide in the United States, and the numbers are only increasing. These rates are exceptionally high in rural areas where jobs have plummeted in industrial or manufacturing.

Domestic violence shot up at the start of the pandemic, but many men who suffered went almost unnoticed because they are less likely to report abuse. Although the average number of abused men compared to women is much lower, it does not take away that abuse against men exists. Men are often overlooked.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence's statistics found:

1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner contact sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking with impacts such as injury, fearfulness, post-traumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, etc.

1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors (e.g., slapping, shoving, pushing) and, in some cases, might not be considered "domestic violence."

1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner. 

As a knowledge, advocacy, and education for mental well-being grow, generational curses are being broken. Parents are increasingly aware and actively raising their kids to be better communicators. Fathers are more equipped with tools to teach their sons there is no fear in sharing their emotions and being vulnerable.

Men's mental well-being is just as important as women's. We are on this earth together. The RxESCUESKIN family wants all men to know that we see you. We care about you. You are valuable.