Other posts in this series: depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD
Today is Wear Blue Day as a show of support for the well-being and health of boys and men. This special day is part of Men’s Health Week, which ends on Father’s day and has the purpose of heightening “awareness of preventable health problems and …to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.”
“During Men’s Health Week, I urge our country’s fathers, brothers, and sons to incorporate healthy changes into their lifestyles to mitigate the risks of common illnesses and diseases facing American men. Together, we can all focus on improving our physical and mental health so that we may live healthier, fuller lives.”
—President Donald J Trump
Are you asking “why?”
The Men’s Health Network reports: “Men make half as many physician visits for prevention as women; they are more likely to be uninsured than women; they have a higher death rate more most leading causes of death including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and suicide; and on average men live about 5 years less than women”
But if you forgot your blue today, don’t worry, Congress has designated the entire month of June as “Men’s Health Month [which] is celebrated across the country with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities” and is “anchored by a Congressional health education program.”
Adding to the message, President Trump, wrote that one of the most consequential medical challenges facing American men is depression. The Monitor on Psychology, in “By the Numbers: Men and depression,” listed these statistics on men’s mental health:
- 9 percent of men in America “have daily feelings of depression or anxiety.1
- Only 1 in 3 used medication to help.
- Only 1 in 4 sought helps from a mental health professional.
- 30.6 percent of men suffered from a period of depression in their lifetime.2
- 4 X the suicide rate among men in the USA is four times higher for them than women.3
- 85 men 85 or “older commit suicide each year, more than any other group by age, sex and race.” which according to the CDC make them the “highest suicide rate of any demographic group in the United States, four times larger than the population as a whole.“4
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “approximately 1 in 10 men are likely to experience some form of depression or anxiety. The CDC also reports that men are less likely than women to visit a healthcare provider or receive an annual health exam.” They conclude with this, “It is imperative that we remove stigmas around seeking mental health treatment, and we must encourage men to take the necessary steps to reduce stress.”
Here is a short listing of other articles of interest regarding Men’s health:
- Getting By, but Not Getting Better
- How Anti-Depressants May be Slowing Down our Healing Process
- Why Have Suicides Increased After Enormous Efforts to Reduce Them?
- Ten Scientific Reasons to Get Outdoors
- Why We Need to Remove Shame from Pornography Addiction
- Spirituality and Religion
- True Intimacy is Looking Beyond Sex
- Focus on Humor for Mind and for Body
- A Story of Heroin Addiction and Redemption
- Animal Companions are Good for Your Mental Health
- How MRI Technology Gives Us Hope in Mental Health Healing
- Work/Life Balance Lowers Stress for Better Mental Health
- Sharing the Stories of Struggle Can Progress Your Healing And Others!
- Loneliness is NOT Good For Your Mental Health
- The Year Psychiatry Changed Forever
- Mom Was Right “Eat Your Veggies” for a Better Brain
- Five Studies Showing How God Can Help In Mental Health
- Neurotheology—Our Top 10 Picks
Sources
1 Data from the National Health Interview Survey (2010–13)
2 The Experience of Symptoms of Depression in Men vs Women, JAMA Psychiatry.
3 WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2017, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
4 ibid.
