No Shave November

 Raise awareness of Men’s health by growing out your mustache for November and posting online about men’s physical and mental health to educate others.

Men’s Mental Health Statistics

• About 77% of men in the United States experienced a mental health issue this year. Depression being the most common affecting 10% of males. Anxiety disorders being a close second affecting 8% of males. Men have reported significant feelings of loneliness increasing these mental health problems.
• Men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women at about 23 per 100,000 people per year. 

 

Why???

• Only about 30% of men seek help from mental health professionals.
• Men are less likely to report mental health symptoms to a doctor and more likely to report things like back pain which makes detection of mental health issues harder.
• There is more stigma associated with men showing signs of a diagnosable mental health issue  like depression and anxiety.
• Men die by suicide more 4x than women because men choose more lethal means.

 

What are those Barriers for Men?

Men typically report mental health symptoms less than women due to stigma around mental health. Men reported in 2025 that their stress levels are

 increasing and found that 64% of men experience high stress. The higher stress status correlates with economic anxiety and financial pressures. Social isolation is one factor and  living alone increases stress, depression, and anxiety. It was reported that 67% of men between 19-29 live alone.

Men have reported feelings of stigma and embarrassment when speaking about their mental

 health. The “toughness” attitude, while decreasing, still exists so some men feel that showing any sign of mental health problems as a weakness. In fact 40% of men stated that it would take thoughts of self harm or suicide for them to seek help.

 

Signs to watch out for:

• Aggression and violence
• High-risk activities
• Problem substance use, such as binge drinking
• Physical issues, such as chronic headaches or stomachaches
• Feelings of restlessness and difficulty focusing
• Appetite and weight changes
• Fatigue
• Obsessive thinking

 

Help by:

• Creating a safe space without judgement and respecting boundaries.
• Encourage open communication by using “I” statements and normalizing discussing mental health.
• Encourage activities, whether they are social activities, hobbies, movement, anything that enhances mental health.
• Help connect to care providers, hotlines, warmlines:
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)