Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month by: Brett Briggeman

November carries a quiet weight for men around the world.

Many men have labeled the month as “Movember,” growing mustaches in solidarity for men’s health; not just physical, but mental. Beneath the playful whiskers and fundraising runs, lies a message that is anything but lighthearted, men are struggling, and too many are doing it in silence.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men account for nearly 80 percent of all suicide deaths in the United States. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that the age-adjusted suicide rate for men is about 22.9 per 100,000, nearly four times higher than women.

And while one in 10 men experience depression or anxiety, fewer than half will ever seek help. The rest just keep pushing through, convinced that toughness means silence.

The truth is, men are often raised on an unspoken code: do not cry, do not complain and do not show weakness. That kind of conditioning does not make people strong, it just teaches them to hide. The result is a generation of men who can build careers, families, and reputations, but cannot bring themselves to say, “I am not okay.” When they finally do, it is often when things have already gone too far.

November asks us to break that pattern, helping men feel safe to talk and to reach out without fear of judgment. Movember started with mustaches, but it has grown into something deeper: a conversation about what it means to truly be healthy. 

When men open up, communities change. Families start healing. Friendships deepen. Workplaces become safer. And the ripple spreads outward — because every man who chooses honesty over silence gives others the courage to do the same.

So maybe this November, it is not just about growing a mustache. Maybe it is about checking in with your brother, your dad, your best friend. Ask them how they are really doing, not just for the polite answer, but the one behind their eyes. For the men struggling, maybe it is about making that therapy appointment you have been avoiding. Maybe it is just about realizing that needing help does not make you weak. It makes you human.

Men’s Mental Health Month is not about grand gestures. It is about small truths told out loud, the kind that keep people alive, and compassion towards those who are struggling. The statistics are grim, but the story does not have to end there. When men talk, listen. When they fall, reach out. When they struggle, stay close. Because this November, the strongest thing a man can do might just be to speak.