Study examines why males, more prone to suicide, seek help less

Suicide among men has reached a crisis point in the U.S., where men account for up to 80% of such deaths despite women being three times more likely to report suicidal thoughts and attempts. Contributing factors include greater impulsivity, a lower fear of death, and notably, easy access to firearms. 

A recent report from Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit collaborating with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to offer free and confidential text-based mental health support, highlights another factor: men are significantly less likely than women to seek help. 

In 2025, the organization received 1.5 million messages, with fewer than 20% coming from individuals identifying solely as male (excluding those who selected multiple gender identities). Despite this, men, particularly younger men, were more inclined to discuss suicide in their messages. Data from 2025 reveals that one in three conversations with boys under 14 included mentions of suicide. 

Tracy Costigan, vice president of impact evaluation and storytelling at Crisis Text Line and a report author, emphasized the critical issue of men and boys not seeking help despite experiencing high levels of distress. She noted, “Boys and men are socialized to equate self-reliance with strength and [see] help-seeking as a weakness, and this is really conformity to traditional masculine norms.” 

The report, unveiled during a briefing by the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, analyzes 71,000 conversations from 2022 to 2024 involving men and boys. Although the sample mainly includes younger individuals who are more likely to seek help, Costigan stated that the findings align with broader trends, showing that men are less likely to see therapists or contact helplines compared to women, and often report a lack of people they feel comfortable confiding in. 

Michael Addis, a psychology professor at Clark University who studies men’s mental health, expressed no surprise at the low number of men reaching out for help. In his research and his book “Invisible Men,” he identifies stigma around appearing weak and cultural norms promoting self-reliance as significant barriers for men seeking assistance. 

The role of masculinity in men’s mental health is currently a point of political contention. At a MAHA Institute panel on antidepressants on May 4, Admiral Brian Christine, Health and Human Services assistant secretary, suggested that challenges to traditional masculinity are contributing to the mental health crisis among men. 

He remarked, “This is a cultural issue, it’s a societal issue, we’ve created a culture where a lot of men feel like they are on the outside looking in. In some spaces, the message is that masculinity itself is something to be minimized, something to be criticized, and by some something to be demonized. And we can see the effects: We see boys falling behind in school, we see young men stepping away from the workforce, we see a quiet but growing sense that they are not needed.”

Addis and other scholars studying masculinity challenge this view. Addis argues, “The answer is to promote less of a concern with masculinity, not more of it. We don’t need to repair men’s masculinity to improve their mental health. We need to teach them how to be more flexible in the way they understand it or to even let go of the need to perform it.”

The report outlines a shift in the causes of men’s unhappiness: for younger men, relationship stress is paramount, peaking among those aged 14 to 17, then declining with age while isolation and loneliness become more significant, peaking at age 65. 

Costigan noted, “Boys and men really talk about the importance of social connection to support them when they’re in distress. At the same time, while we found loneliness increasing with age, mentions of relying on friends and social connection as a coping strategy decreased with age, so we really need to make sure we’re supporting older men as well with opportunities for social connection.”

Addis pointed out that the stereotype that men are less relational than women is not supported by the data. Men do value relationships significantly, but many lack the skills to manage distress within them and maintain healthy connections. 

Researcher Dominick Shattuck from Johns Hopkins University, also a men’s health fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men, observed that young men desire social connections and relationships, using terms like love and caring, but often drift away from these as they mature.

Shattuck emphasized the developmental need for boys to gain emotional literacy early on, enabling them to build and sustain relationships as they age. He stated, “The report helps identify the coping mechanisms they already turn to, including social connection, exercise or sports, creative outlets, mental health services, and time in nature. That is important because it frames prevention around strengthening existing protective factors, not only expanding clinical care.” He also noted that supportive environments can be informal, such as barbershops, sports clubs, or gatherings of friends.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. For TTY users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

STAT’s coverage of health challenges facing men and boys is supported by Rise Together, a donor advised fund sponsored and administered by National Philanthropic Trust and established by Richard Reeves, founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men; and by the Boston Foundation. Our financial supporters are not involved in any decisions about our journalism.