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COVID-19 and Men’s Mental Health

     The Cleveland Clinic survey was done, which sampled 1,000 adult males ages 18 and older from across the United States. Seventy-seven percent of the men reported that their stress levels increased during the pandemic, while fifty-nine percent said that they felt isolated. About forty-five percent reported that their emotional and mental health declined during the pandemic.

     It’s not all bad news. The results showed that forty-five percent felt healthier during the pandemic than before the pandemic, while twenty-eight percent are sleeping more and twenty-two percent are adding more exercise to their routines. About nineteen percent say they’re eating healthier meals.

     “Men have more difficulties with addressing their mental health and that can impact their physical health in turn,” said Dr. Petar Bajic. He is one of the doctors associated with the campaign and a urologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute. “I encourage all men to talk to their partners, talk to their support system.”

     “The findings from the Cleveland Clinic survey were that over three quarters of men are experiencing increased stress levels and nearly half are reporting that their mental health has worsened during the pandemic is consistent with what we are seeing in clinical practice,” said Dr. Michael young, service chief of the Retreat at Sheppard Pratt, a psychiatric hospital in the Baltimore, Maryland suburb of Towson.

     Men in the past just had the primary role of breadwinner. Now during COVID they are having difficulty in adjusting to new and different roles such as increased caregiving responsibilities or helping their children adjust to remote learning while keeping up with online work, household chores. Their self-esteem and sense of purpose has been severely impacted because they are no longer able to provide financially for their families in many cases.

     “Isolation from important aspects of social networks such as work colleagues, friends, and extended family have also been contributing to feelings of loneliness, which is a well-known factor that can contribute negatively to both mental and physical health,” Young said.

     Men don’t seek help because they believe that asking for help is sign of weakness. They want to be perceived as being strong and not vulnerable. “It is important to shine a light on shame and guilt that men may be experiencing. Reframing the narrative to emphasize that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness, may help more men be willing to ask for help when they need it,” Young said.

     Telemedicine is an accessible and less intimidating way to engage safely with mental health professionals. A phone or virtual appointment from home could be an easy way to begin to address health problems with a medical professional.

     In the survey fifty percent of the men reported being less healthy and fifty percent reported being healthier now. Those who reported worse health habits were more likely to increase their alcohol consumption, for instance, and lean into more sedentary behavior 

     “Again it’s about how people deal with difficult times-it’s important for men to talk things through and use their support system, use resources that are available to them in terms of dealing with stress in a healthy way.” Bajic said.

Signed: Renee D. Warring Founder of Uniquely and Wonderfully Made Ministries

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-covid-19-is-impacting-mens-mental-health-differently