06/12/2026
June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month.
You might've heard the phrase "man up", or that "men don't cry". For years, men have been told to "tough it out". These 'expectations' have left too many men and boys feeling discouraged from speaking up about their mental health and well-being, struggling in silence.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), many men report feeling isolated or lacking close emotional relationships, despite strong social connection being one of the most important protective factors for mental health.
Other factors like mental and physical health, employment, education, income, and other social aspects of health all affect men and boys overall health and well-being.
When men and boys grow up in a supportive environment that is open to, or encourages, emotional expression lacking any and all judgement, they are more likely to reach out when they are struggling. This environment, along with community supports both early and later in life, helps to build emotional awareness and healthy relationship skills, and promote mental health and wellbeing.
They are fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, grandfathers, cousins, loved ones, friends - people.
A few ways that you can support the men in your life according to the CMHA;
- Pay attention
- Start the conversation - ask how they are really doing and listen without judgment. Share what you’ve noticed in a caring, non-blaming way, and allow space for honest responses.
- Normalize Professional Support.
- Share resources.
- Challenge harmful norms - redefine strength to include vulnerability, honesty, and emotional expression.
- Engage through shared activity as conversations can feel easier side-by-side—while walking, driving, working on a project, or doing something familiar together.
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Our vision at Pathways Cape Breton is to create an inclusive community where people with mental health and addictions challenges have the opportunity to recover and thrive.
Part of that is talking - reaching out and breaking the stigma that surrounds mental health and addiction challenges as a whole.
You don’t need to have all the answers. There are resources to help you take the first step and a community of support behind you.
For more information as well as a list of resources for men's mental health, please visit the CMHA Nova Scotia Division site:
https://novascotia.cmha.ca/supporting-mens-mental-health-beyond-awareness/
You are not alone.
For generations, men have been told to hide their emotions, “tough it out,” and “man up.” These expectations—shaped by cultural norms and toxic masculinity—can discourage men from speaking about mental...
