HS Alliance
Men are often afraid of being belittled, laughed at or ridiculed for talking about their emotions. Syracuse University must provide male students with the support they need to help de-stigmatize men’s mental health issues.
Many men internalize their emotions instead of confronting them, and mental health is rarely discussed among men. The pervasiveness of “bro culture” and toxic masculinity makes it difficult for men to find outlets to talk about their feelings.
This cultural problem will not resolve itself. To help men feel more comfortable discussing and dealing with their mental health, the League should offer counseling services at The Arch’s Barnes Center specifically designed to support men facing the unique issues men face. faced.
Gender stereotypes and expectations are a big part of the reasons why fewer men seek mental health care. By many Western societal norms, men are meant to be strong, and weakness is often not accepted by other men.
A 2016 survey of people who have experienced mental health problems find that 28% of men, compared to 19% of women, did not seek medical help, according to the Mental Health Foundation.
Additionally, suicide rates among men show the glaring lack of support that men receive compared to women. In a 2015 video for the University of Texas ‘Depression + Men’, psychologist Aaron Rochlen noted that women are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men, yet men die by suicide at rates four to six times more frequent than women.
Research has shown that men express their emotions differently from women. Jim Livi, board member for the National Alliance on Mental Illness chapter in Syracuse, spoke about the challenges men face when dealing with their mental health.
“When a mental illness occurs there is a feeling of ‘what’s going on with me?’ “, did he declare. “It strikes at their identity as a person.”
Men can experience the stress and anxiety that accompany mental health issues, which can hamper their careers, Livi said. This problem is snowballing, as they would likely have to take time off work to take care of their mental health, but they might not be afraid of losing their jobs.
“For men, their job is their identity,” said Livi. “There needs to be more discussion of how to deal with mental health in the work environment. ”
This explains why fewer men seek help, he said, because fear of losing your job due to your illness keeps many men away from seeking help.
Discussion with men about mental health should start early in a man’s life. The League should be a driving force in driving this discussion. But first of all, men must really want to go out and get help.
“Admission [of mental health challenges] is the first step in getting help, ”said Livi. Men should form support groups and contact friends who may be having difficulty, he said.
The advice SU provides should be aimed at understanding the culture and dangers of toxic masculinity that many male college students have experienced, and the university should use research that understands how men express their emotions in different ways.
Above all, the university must provide a space where men can feel comfortable discussing their feelings. If this advice is implemented, the League will have taken a step towards changing the culture on campus.
If SU does this for its male students, we can begin to deny the ubiquitous toxic masculinity in the lives of many men. The League must give men the resources they need to deal with mental health issues.
John Hepp is a freshman in sports analysis. His column appears every two weeks. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Posted on September 20, 2021 at 10:41 p.m.