June Is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month: Why Men Still Avoid Getting Help

June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, and health advocates are again raising the alarm about a persistent gap: men are far less likely to seek mental health care than women, even as they account for a disproportionate share of suicide deaths.

Men make up roughly 80 percent of suicide deaths in the United States, according to data cited by mental health organizations this month. Yet only a small percentage of men seek professional counseling, often because of stigma, a lack of male-oriented mental health services, or a tendency to mask symptoms.

Depression in men frequently looks different than it does in women. Rather than sadness, men often show irritability, anger, overwork, and increased substance use. These signs are easier to dismiss or misread, both by the men experiencing them and by those around them.

Mental health professionals say the solution requires more than awareness campaigns. They point to a need for accessible, male-oriented mental health infrastructure, including therapists trained to work with men and workplace programs that normalize help-seeking.

June also serves as PTSD Awareness Month. Local health experts across the country are emphasizing that effective treatments exist and that seeking care is a sign of strength, not weakness.

The American Psychiatric Association's June 2026 journal issues included new research on somatic treatments for suicide risk and relapse prevention following electroconvulsive therapy, reflecting continued clinical investment in treating severe depression and trauma.