Forum: Men's mental health deserves a seat at the table
Every June, Men's Mental Health Month comes and goes with too little noise in Singapore. In a society where boys are still told to 'man up' and tears are a sign of weakness, the mental health struggles of men remain largely invisible.
To truly achieve a more equitable society, we must be prepared to have difficult, necessary conversations, including those about men's mental health.
As a social worker who has worked with male perpetrators of interpersonal harm, I have seen how unresolved trauma issues, depression and substance misuse often lie beneath violent behaviour. Global studies suggest that between 25 per cent and 60 per cent of male perpetrators may struggle with mental health disorders. While mental illness is never an excuse for violence, this data underscores the urgent need to integrate mental health support into violence-prevention strategies, especially for boys and men raised to repress emotion and avoid help-seeking.
From 2019 to 2023, the number of suicides among men in Singapore was significantly higher than among women. Boys are less likely to seek help than girls. Mental disorders are now the leading cause of disability and death among children aged 10 to 14, according to a May 2025 study in The Lancet Public Health. And yet, we still struggle to talk openly about men's emotional well-being.
The Netflix docuseries Adolescence has powerfully reignited this conversation. The show reveals how early boys are taught to suppress emotions, fear vulnerability and measure success through dominance. This isn't just 'boys being boys' – it's the early formation of a mental health crisis.
At Aware, we believe that patriarchy hurts everyone, and if we are serious about dismantling it, we must challenge not just the power structures that oppress women, but also the rigid gender expectations that harm men. It is with this hope and knowledge that we have embarked on running workshops focusing on masculinity for young men; understanding that gender justice is not just for women, but for all who are harmed by oppressive gender norms, including men, queer and trans individuals, and marginalised boys.
This is not about shifting resources away from women. It's about recognising how rigid gender norms affect everyone; and building a society where care, vulnerability and healing are seen not as signs of weakness, but as essential parts of being human.
Bharathi Manogaran
Deputy Executive Director, Aware
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