(TNND) — A new report examines the mental health challenges facing boys and young men, with experts saying many are raised to suppress emotions out of fear of appearing weak — causing anxiety, depression, loneliness and insecurity to often manifest as anger, irritability or risky behavior.
The Jed Foundation (JED), an organization focused on mental health for teens and young adults, said the suicide rate of boys and young men is 3.5 times that of young women.
But JED said there are gaps in resources for boys, and their struggles often go unnoticed.
“We don’t always see boys for what they’re struggling with,” said Katie Hurley, a child and adolescent psychotherapist and JED’s vice president of community initiatives.
The JED report, “The Emotional Lives of Boys and Young Men,” was formed through a multistep process that included a review of existing research, an exploration of how young men discuss mental health across digital platforms, and a two-day convening in New York that brought together experts and young men themselves.
While girls and young women are socialized to talk and to be empathic, Hurley said boys are taught from a young age to be stoic, self-reliant, successful and emotionally controlled.
Cultural norms around masculinity shape how boys deal with everyday emotions, she said.
For some boys, their powerful emotions are expressed through anger and aggression.
“Because again, they’ve been taught to internalize for so long that when it comes out, it’s explosive,” Hurley said. “It can be very hurtful to other people.”
Distress can turn into risky behavior, like reckless driving, substance abuse, unsafe sexual behavior, or compulsive day trading or sports betting.
Deondré Guignard said he didn’t grow up with the emotional tools necessary to deal with the anxiety and isolation he was experiencing through high school and into college.
Guignard moved from upstate New York for college, where he’s about to graduate from the University of San Diego. But alone on the other side of the country, Guignard recalled experiencing panic attacks in his college dorm room.
He recalled that his only coping mechanism as a teenager was listening to a song that would calm him down a little bit. Otherwise, he felt like he had to just “push through it.”
But while at USD, therapy helped Guignard discover healthier ways to deal with his troubles. And then he found a men’s discussion group called “Guy Talk,” where he finally felt safe talking about his challenges.
“And I really found that I’m not the only one that is experiencing these things,” Guignard said.
Knowing others shared his struggles was “empowering,” Guignard said.
That’s why Hurley highlighted a critical need for strong male mentorship.
The JED report includes actionable guidance for caregivers and communities to support the mental health of boys and young men.
For parents, active, empathic listening can go a long way, Hurley said.
“We find over and over again that young people want to go to their parents for help,” she said. “But one of the biggest barriers to that is they think their parents are either going to try to fix it immediately or punish them, or they’re just not going to hear what they’re actually saying.”
JED will also host a webinar that’s open to the public next week, designed to help caring adults better recognize and respond to signs of distress, and improve their connections with the boys and young men in their lives.