29/06/2026
We often ask why men don't seek help.
Perhaps we should also ask what happens before that moment.
Recent research suggests that men's mental health is influenced not only by individual choices, but also by socialisation, gender norms, restrictive emotionality, stigma, and the environments in which boys and men learn to express, or suppress, their emotions.
This doesn't mean every man has the same experience.
It means that if we want to improve men's mental health, we need to move beyond encouraging men to "speak up" and begin creating environments where emotional expression is understood as a human strength rather than a weakness.
The infographic below summarises findings from several recent studies exploring these important themes.
I'd be interested to hear your perspective.
Which factors do you believe have the greatest impact on men's willingness to seek psychological support?
Content and concept © Michelle Hadad
Graphic design developed with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI).