Not only is June Pride Month, it’s also Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, dedicated to highlighting and encouraging open conversations about the mental health struggles men face.
People on TikTok have been posting videos to show their support for men’s mental health and raise awareness of the challenges men face, which has resulted in it becoming one of the top trending topics, according to TikTok.
How is TikTok raising awareness for Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month?
There have been several videos going viral that aim to show understanding and solidarity around men’s mental health. These videos range from sharing statistics about men’s mental health, personal experiences with depression and loneliness, stories of losing loved ones due to unresolved issues, or simply letting men know they are loved and valued.
In one viral video, @smoothyoki_ claims that men’s mental health is suffering because they are taught from a young age to bottle up their emotions and not ask for help.
The result, he says, is “a sense of loneliness and hopelessness.”
He goes on to say, “A simple conversation, or even just a smile or a gesture, might be enough for them to stay here for one more day and continue living this beautiful life that the Lord has given us.”
Why is men’s mental health important?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, men are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than women. From 2020 to 2021, suicides among young men ages 15-24 increased by 8%.
As previously reported by the Deseret News, men are often taught to be strong and emotionally unwavering, which contributes to men’s loneliness and depression.
Michael Kimmel, a former sociology professor at Stony Brook University in New York and founder of the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities, previously told the Deseret News, “Men are expected to be very stoic and not show any pain or weakness, so it’s no wonder that a lot of men feel like, ‘I can’t live like that,’ because, in reality, humans can’t live like that.”
Kimmel suggested that a good way for men to build better mental health is to develop strong bonds with others.
According to the American Psychological Association, people who have close friends are more likely to be satisfied with their lives and less likely to suffer from depression.
“Meanwhile, people who have fewer social connections due to isolation, loneliness or poor quality relationships are at higher risk of dying prematurely,” Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, told APA.
According to the APA, quality relationships that provide companionship and social support improve mental and physical health, but people without relationships are twice as likely to die prematurely — a bigger risk factor than smoking 20 cigarettes a day.
