Men’s anxiety, why it matters, and what is needed to limit its risk for male suicide

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health disorder experienced by men. If left untreated, anxiety is predictive of psychiatric disorders including depression and associated suicide risk. Despite the prevalence and impact of men’s anxiety, it remains largely overlooked in the field of men’s mental health. Globally, men are reported to have lower rates of anxiety disorders compared to women; however, these sex-differences do not reflect the complexity and nuance of men’s experiences. There is early evidence to suggest a male-type anxiety phenotype which may go undetected with generic diagnostic classifications. Masculine norms (i.e., stoicism, toughness, invulnerability) appear to be central to men’s experiences and expressions of anxiety as well as men’s help-seeking and coping behaviours. This is particularly concerning given anxiety increases men’s risk of physical and psychological comorbidities and suicide risk. The effective assessment, detection and treatment of men’s anxiety is therefore critical to improve mental health outcomes across the male lifespan. We propose three key recommendations for the field of men’s anxiety: (i) to develop a theoretical model surrounding men’s experiences of anxiety, (ii) broaden mental health resources, interventions and suicide prevention strategies to encompass men’s gendered experiences of anxiety (e.g., sentiments of shame, physical symptom manifestation), and (iii) utilise informal supports (i.e., friends and family) as an avenue of intervention to improve men’s anxiety outcomes. Without a substantial research agenda in men’s anxiety, we will fail to recognise and respond to men’s gendered experiences of anxiety and ultimately fail to reduce male suicides.