Men and Mental Health: Getting Support
A handout for men on why mental health difficulties can look different and go unrecognised in men, why asking for help can feel hard, and practical first steps toward support.
About this resource
Men are less likely than women to seek help for depression and other mental health problems, and are more likely to die by suicide in most countries, including Canada. Research on men's help-seeking, including the work of Michael Addis and James Mahalik, suggests that socialised expectations about self-reliance, emotional control and toughness can make recognising distress and asking for help feel like a failure. Systematic reviews also suggest that depression in men may present with irritability, anger, risk-taking, overwork or substance use rather than obvious sadness, which can delay recognition by the man himself and by those around him.
This handout speaks directly to men. It describes how low mood and stress can show up, reframes seeking support as a practical problem-solving step rather than a weakness, and addresses common barriers. It uses plain, direct language and avoids lecturing. It is suitable to give at first contact, to share with a partner or family member who is concerned about a man in their life, or to use in workplace and primary care settings.
The professional version adds guidance on engagement: action-oriented and goal-focused framing, collaborative language, and attention to suicide risk in men who present with irritability, substance use or recent losses rather than expressed sadness.
How to use it
- Offer the handout early, ideally in the first contact, and keep the framing practical: this is information, not a diagnosis.
- Ask which of the 'How it can show up' items fit. Many men recognise irritability, withdrawal or overwork more readily than sadness.
- Normalise the barriers section without arguing with it. Acknowledge that reluctance makes sense given what many men have been taught, then move to what would make support workable.
- Set concrete, action-focused goals early in treatment, as many men engage better with a problem-solving frame than with an open exploration of feelings.
- Assess suicide risk directly. Men often do not volunteer suicidal thoughts. Provide 9-8-8 and 911 information.
References
- Addis, M. E., & Mahalik, J. R. (2003). Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking. American Psychologist, 58(1), 5-14.
- Seidler, Z. E., Dawes, A. J., Rice, S. M., Oliffe, J. L., & Dhillon, H. M. (2016). The role of masculinity in men's help-seeking for depression: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 49, 106-118.
- Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
