The pandemic, burnout and discussions about work-life balance have forced employers to pay more attention to the mental health of their employees, but men still face bias in this area.
June is Men’s Mental Health Month, a time to recognise and acknowledge the unique challenges men face in addressing and expressing their mental health issues. Experts say men are often hesitant to seek help due to perceived gender roles and ideals around masculinity, so employers have a key role to play in eradicating stigma and changing the narrative to ensure men get the support they need. But few are doing enough.
“There’s obviously been less focus on men and I think there needs to be more communication about it,” says Rob Jarvis, deputy director of health, equity and wellbeing at insurer WTW. “We’re still in the early stages of this but we’re very hopeful that it will become more commonplace and help this group of people.”
“We’re still in the early stages of this effort, but we’re very hopeful that in the future this will become more commonplace and help this group of people.”
Men often experience mental health symptoms differently than women, and they tend to manifest in self-destructive behaviors that can be evident in the workplace. This includes overworking, but also engaging in excessive activities outside of work, which can negatively impact job performance and ability to fulfill responsibilities.
They may also have poor impulse control, withdraw from social events and activities at work, and take excessive sick days, Jarvis says. So employers’ programs need to specifically address the unique needs of their male staff. And giving them access to the treatment and resources they need can boost productivity and morale, ultimately helping the bottom line.
Joel Ackler, a psychiatrist and national behavioral health leader at insurance brokerage Brown & Brown, said the first step organizations should take is to better train managers to spot signs of problems among male staff members and to have more conversations about their well-being.
“Depression and anxiety are silent. You don’t know if someone is suffering internally except through an emotional outburst,” says Axar, who has been guiding leaders through a mental health first aid program he likens to CPR training. “We’re not training leaders or managers to be clinicians, we’re training them to better understand what their employees might be suffering from,” he says.
“Simply helping leaders and managers become aware of these nuances helps ensure psychological safety and a safe space to discuss feelings,” Ackler said.
“Simply helping leaders and managers become aware of these nuances helps ensure psychological safety and a safe space to discuss feelings.”
The language used around mental health and wellbeing directed at male staff is also important: Inclusive communications to men might use softer language about recovering from burnout rather than depression or sadness, and organisation-wide messaging and awareness campaigns can be more effective using humour when targeting men, Jarvis said.
Providing programs to help men navigate the health care system when they do seek help, such as resources to find therapists or specialist care, is also important. “There’s a stereotype that men don’t ask for directions; they’re just lost until they find their way,” Ackler says. Employers should also check whether their health care vendor or network has enough mental health or substance use disorder providers to ensure men can get help in a timely manner.
Other effective tools for raising awareness include spotlighting male leaders who have dealt with their own mental health issues. “They can use their own stories to amplify it and reduce stigma towards other men who may be dealing with mental health issues, changing the cultural dynamic,” Ackler said.
But ultimately, certain aspects of company culture that are intended to comprehensively benefit all employees can also help address men’s specific needs, such as greater flexibility in the workplace.
“In the hybrid environment we live in right now, where flexible working hours are available and guys can work from home, they can take an afternoon off to go to their son’s soccer game, which maybe they never did before, or maybe they can drive him to school to pick him up,” Ackler said. Measures that promote work-life balance and a culture that broadly values employees’ lives outside of work can help alleviate much of the stress they bring to the job, he said.
