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Men's mental health care is in jeopardy with GOP legislation
Men's Health Month got its start as National Men's Health Week more than 30 years ago, when two lawmakers encouraged Congress to bring more attention to men's health issues. Since then, the focus has shifted to men's mental health concerns, given how few men seek mental health care
despite often suffering at higher rates.
President Trump has remained silent on how his administration would address the mental health crisis that is at its worst
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'If you are struggling with your mental health, it is important to reach out to others and seek professionals for support,' Trump said. 'Together, we will build a stronger, healthier future for all.' But the president has recently championed legislation that would take mental health care away from millions of Americans
— many of them men — without addressing the understandable fears that even some of his supporters have.
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By 2034, about 16 million people would lose health coverage with proposed Medicaid cuts in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' as well as changes to the Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage, according to
Inseparable, a bipartisan mental health advocacy group launched a television and radio
'Less Medicaid means more overdoses, more suicides, more families torn apart,' the ad says. 'Our mental health care is more important than tax cuts.'
Much has been made — sometimes mockingly — about the male loneliness epidemic. But perhaps too few skeptics realize that this is tied to depression, anxiety, and other issues that could lead to tragic outcomes.
According to
▪ The rate of suicide deaths increases with age in men over the age of 55.
▪ Men over the age of 85 have the highest rates of suicide deaths.
▪ White men in Massachusetts die by suicide at the highest rates in the state.
▪ This crisis has worsened in recent years in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cultural wars, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, and intensifying global conflicts. And some mental health advocates believe matters could get worse if Republicans in Washington have their way.
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Democratic Representative Seth Moulton began talking about his personal battle with post-traumatic stress disorder several years ago
after serving in the Iraq War. The Salem native has since expanded his focus to other communities beyond veterans struggling with mental health issues.
In an interview, Moulton said there was bipartisan interest in Congress in recent years to dedicate more resources to addressing men's mental health issues. But that changed with Trump's return to the White House.
'Yes, there are a lot of Republicans who are upset about these cuts, because they affect their communities as well,' he said. 'The challenge is finding any Republican that is willing to stand up to this administration.'
Moulton is frustrated with what he considers to be apathy among some of his fellow lawmakers. But he said regardless of whether conservatives get on board, he's going to continue to shine light on this issue that is affecting not just Massachusetts men but millions of Americans.
'This isn't a one month effort' for his office, he said. 'It's all year long. All hands on deck.'
'And this isn't important just for the military,' Moulton added. 'The lessons we learn from our troops are so applicable to the issues that civilians have.'
It seems unlikely in this current political climate that Moulton and other Democrats will get Republicans on board with prioritizing this issue. Perhaps the only way for men to prioritize their mental health is to go to the polls next year and vote for lawmakers who do.
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