"There's been a growing conversation about the pressures young men face today. Social isolation, financial stress, and uncertainty about the future are wearing many down, and rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among men keep rising. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in 2023, the suicide rate for U.S. males was nearly four times higher than among females. While the intensity of their struggles may feel new, the expectations placed on men are ancient."
"For generations, masculinity was defined by external markers: strength by dominance, respect by provision, and toughness by suppressing emotion. A study of more than 2,000 U.S. men found that when people perceive a gap between who they feel they should be (by societal standards) and who they are, that "discrepancy stress" links to poorer mental health and diminished life satisfaction."
Young men face mounting pressures from social isolation, financial strain, and future uncertainty, contributing to rising depression, anxiety, and suicide. Traditional masculinity emphasized external markers—dominance, provision, and emotional suppression—creating a gap between societal expectations and individual identity. That gap, labeled discrepancy stress, correlates with worse mental health and lower life satisfaction. Masculinity is increasingly performed contextually, and contemporary demands for vulnerability and emotional availability often leave men unprepared and lacking models. Emotional presence—honesty, compassion, attunement—and autonomy with self-leadership are presented as core components of psychological strength and authentic identity formation.
Read at Psychology Today
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