Men's Mental Health; Why it should matter.

We still live in a society that finds it strange to see a man cry and it can be subject to jokes if they don't do it in a private circle.

According to NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health), men are more likely to see their doctor about physical symptoms than emotional symptoms.

Kalembwe highlights this in an insightful way and says that the repression of emotions can have serious consequences. This is because as men, according to him, anger and rage are more accepted, making them the only sentimental expression that many men are capable of expressing. Repressing our feelings makes us unable to detect when we are depressed and also makes us oblivious to other people's pain; it is impossible to understand what others are going through if we do not allow ourselves to embrace our feelings.

It still begs the question though, is their any room for this archaic notion? And what efforts could be made to curb this 'silent epidemic?'

Well, to answer the first question, it has to be backed up by data. According to an article by MedicalNewsToday, In high-income countries, three times as many men as women die by suicide, according to a World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source report from 2018. In this very report the WHO emphasize that cultural stigma surrounding mental health is one of the chief obstacles to people admitting that they are struggling and seeking help. So is their room for such an archaic notion?

Kalembwe strongly believes that to curb this notion a lot of syllabus or rather educational restructuring has got to be done. In his words, "It's crucial to assist men in shifting their perception of receiving support from "a sign of weakness" to an essential step in preserving one aspect of health that is just as crucial as any other." If done right, a lot more men will live happier, healthier and without a lot of stress on their backs. This will subsequently lead to better judgement and planning among other things.