International Men's Day 2024: Why Men's Mental Health Should Be A Part Of Social Discourse

International Men's Day falls on November 19 and as per International Men's Day.com, this year's theme is “positive male role models." It is to highlight the crucial aspect of fostering positive relationships and promoting mental well-being and health among men. The latter aspect of this year's theme is significant since mental health among men is hardly talked about. Our expert, Ms. Kiara Jain, lifestyle and personal transformation coach and founder of Mindful Living, shares why that should change.

High Suicide Rates in Men Paint A Sad Picture

An analysis done by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), published in August 2023, points out the alarming disparity in the rate of suicides among men and women in India. IIPS, which pooled the numbers from the 2023 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, concluded that men took their lives 2.5 times more than women even though the latter is believed to have more suicidal tendencies.  

The NCRB data, between 2014 and 2021, was about adult men across different age groups, education, profession, or marital status. This is particularly disturbing since the data did not spare men of any age or status. Unfortunately, society terms women as the weaker sex, in turn making men the "strong" one. This narrative creates undue and unnecessary pressure and stress on men to perform and be the MAN of the house. Added to this, men are called weak if they express emotions or cry.  

Ms. Jain attests that even though the chorus around men's mental health has increased, "for some reason it always revolves around women, and men are given a little less recognition. Due to societal standards, men are expected to be strong and always suppress their emotions. This leads to them always feeling the need to hide their emotions, which in turn affects their mental health and not in a good way."

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The "not in a good way" consequences manifest in men taking solace in "unsafe defense mechanisms like being angry, alcoholism, which further deteriorates their mental health and causes issues in their family," adds Ms. Jain.

Moreover, when they are suggested to visit counsellors, seek therapy or professional help, men generally have an icky feeling that makes things worse. They perceive it as a weakness because of the established masculine image they have to adhere to.  

"The idea that a man should be rough and tough results in men feeling lonely, anxious, and depressed. The best way is to include both men and women in conversations regarding mental health," Ms. Jain suggests.

She points out this can only be achieved by:

• Creating awareness
• Coaching and teaching
• Changing our views
• Seeing both genders equally

It's known that the basic structure and fabric of society are woven around both genders and their cohesive existence. So, if men aren't allowed to embrace their vulnerability and eventually emerge as emotionally resilient and balanced, it attacks that very primary foundation, thus always “maintaining” the imbalance in society, wraps up Ms. Kiara Jain.

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