Men's Mental Health Statistics

Men's mental health is one of the most pressing and underfunded public health challenges globally. Despite high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide, men remain far less likely than women to seek professional help.

The statistics below are drawn from Australian, UK, and US national health studies, government bodies, and leading mental health organisations.

Australian Mens' Mental Health Stats

Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety

• One in seven men will experience depression, and one in five will face anxiety at some point in their lives. [1]
• Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) Australian men aged 16–85 had experienced a mental illness in the last 12 months. [2]
• 42% of Australian men aged 16–85 had experienced a mental illness at any point in their lifetime. [2]
• Up to 25% of Australian men will experience a diagnosed mental health disorder in their lifetime, with 15% experiencing a disorder in any 12-month period. [3]
• Among boys aged 10–14, anxiety is the most commonly reported mental health disorder, affecting approximately 9% of this group. [3]
• Depression prevalence among Australian males increases steadily with age, from 7% among those aged 15–17 to 13% among adult men under 57 years. [3]
• For Australian men aged 16–24, the 12-month prevalence of mental illness increased from 23% in 2007 to 32% in 2020–2022, driven largely by a rise in anxiety disorders (from 9.2% to 24.4%). [2]
• Mental health and substance use disorders is the third highest contributor to the total burden of disease for Australian men, accounting for 13% of total burden. [2]
• Among Australian men aged 15–24, four of the five top causes of disease burden are related to mental health and substance use disorders. [2]
• Approximately 90% of Australian men with depression also experience insomnia, increasing their risk of future depression and relapse. [1]

Suicide Rates and Risk

• Every day in Australia, 7 men take their own lives. [1]
• Australian men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. [1]
• In Australia, 75% of all suicides are by men. [1]
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australian males aged 15 to 44. [1]
• In 2023, there were 2,419 deaths by suicide for Australian males compared with 795 for females. [2]
• The highest male suicide rate by age group in 2023 was among men aged 55–59, at 30.9 deaths per 100,000 population. [2]
• Australian male suicide rates have remained consistent over the last decade — 18.9 per 100,000 in 2014 and 18.0 in 2023. [2]
• In 2023, hanging was the most common method of suicide among Australian males, accounting for almost two-thirds (63%) of male deaths. [2]
• Unemployed Australian males aged 25–54 have a suicide risk 2.5 times higher than those who are employed. [2]
• Australian males with only secondary school education or lower have a suicide risk 2.6 times higher than males with a university degree. [2]
• Young Australian men aged 15–25 were the most likely to experience suicidal escalation, with just under 3% making a first suicide attempt between 2013/14 and 2015/16. [3]
• In Australia, suicide results in the highest rate of years of potential life lost, totalling 105,730 years every year. [3]
• Death from suicide amongst Australian men is nearly double the national road toll. [4]

Help-Seeking and Treatment Gaps

• Only 37% of Australian men and boys reach out for support when they need it. [4]
• In 2021, only 37% of Australian males with an anxiety, affective, or substance use disorder accessed help from a health professional, compared with 55% of females. [5]
• Almost 25% of Australian men report they would not seek help from anyone for their mental health. [3]
• 26% of Australian men admit to delaying seeing their GP when they needed help. [4]
• While over 80% of adult men with depression, anxiety, or suicidality had seen a GP in the past 12 months, only around 40% had seen a mental health professional. [3]
• Around 80% of adult men indicated they would be very unlikely or unlikely to seek help from a phone helpline. [3]
• 63% of Australian men reported that gender stereotypes had affected their health behaviours and experiences in health care settings. [2]
• 53% of Australian men believed it was normal for men to avoid regular health check-ups. [2]
• 67% of Australian men reported wanting to leave their health care practitioner due to a lack of personal connection. [2]
• 36% of Australian men had experienced gender bias from their health care practitioner. [2]

Loneliness and Social Isolation

• Around 4% of Australian men report being lonely — defined as having no close friend. [3]
• Australian men who lack close friends or relatives are around twice as likely to have had thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months. [3]
• Men who are not experiencing loneliness are significantly more likely to have better mental health outcomes, including lower rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality. [3]
• Of those with self-reported severe depression in 2013/14, 40% still reported experiencing severe depressive symptoms two years later. [3]
• Loneliness was significantly associated with experiences of depression and suicidality among Australian men, above and beyond the effects of socio-economic disadvantage and unemployment. [3]
• 61% of Australian males who reported having depression or anxiety in 2017 still had the condition four years later. [2]

Substance Use and Co-occurring Issues

• Australian males were more than twice as likely as females to have had a substance use disorder in the past 12 months (4.4% vs. 2.1%). [2]
• Almost 3 in 5 (58%) alcohol-related hospitalisations in Australia in 2022–23 were for men. [2]
• Almost 3 in 4 (71%) alcohol-induced deaths in Australia in 2023 were men. [2]
• In 2023–24, 60% of all clients who received treatment for alcohol or drug use in Australia were male. [2]

At-Risk Population Groups

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian males carry a disease burden 2.2 times as high as non-Indigenous males. [2]
• The age-standardised death rate for Australian males in Very remote areas is 1.5 times as high as in Major cities. [2]
• 26% of First Nations men reported having a long-term mental health condition in 2022–23, up from 23% in 2018–19. [2]
• Unemployed Australian men "out of work but looking" are two times more likely to have depression than employed men; those out of the labour force entirely are four times more likely. [3]
• About 5% of new fathers in Australia develop postnatal depression in the year after having a baby. [4]
• The estimated annual cost of severe mental illness among Australians exceeds $50 billion, including direct healthcare costs and indirect productivity losses. [3]

United Kingdom Men's Mental Health Stats

Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety

• In England, 15% of men have a common mental health disorder, compared with 24% of women. [6]
• 12.5% of men in the UK are suffering from one of the common mental health disorders at any given time. [7]
• 77% of men polled in the UK have experienced symptoms of common mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, or depression. [8]
• Over a third of UK men (35%) think they have had a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their life. [8]
• 43% of UK men — nearly two in five — regularly experience negative wellbeing, an increase of 6% since 2009. [9]
• Women between the ages of 16 and 24 in the UK are almost three times as likely (26%) to experience a common mental health issue as males of the same age (9%). [6]
• Women in the UK are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety as men, though this is partly attributed to higher rates of underdiagnosis in men. [6]
• The prevalence of mental distress in UK men aged 16–24 increased from around 14% in 1991 to 19% by 2018. [10]

Suicide Rates and Risk

• Three quarters of all suicides in the UK are by men, a pattern consistent since the mid-1990s. [6]
• Three times as many men as women die by suicide in the UK. [6]
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 in England and Wales. [7]
• Men aged 40 to 49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK. [6]
• 40% of UK men polled said it would take thoughts of suicide or self-harm before they would seek professional help. [8]

Help-Seeking and Treatment Gaps

• 40% of men in the UK have never spoken to anyone about their mental health. [8]
• Only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men. [6]
• Almost one quarter (22%) of UK men said they would not feel comfortable speaking to their GP or any other professional about their mental health. [8]
• 29% of UK men who don't seek help say they are "too embarrassed," while 20% cite "negative stigma" around the issue. [8]
• UK men are now almost three times more likely to see a therapist than they were in 2009 — though overall rates of help-seeking remain low. [9]
• Men's willingness to seek GP support has increased and is now roughly equal to women's (both at 35%). [9]
• When men do seek support, 66% would first share their feelings with their partner above anyone else. [8]
• More than one in three UK men (37%) say social media has a negative impact on how they feel. [9]

Substance Use and Co-occurring Issues

• Men in the UK are nearly three times as likely as women to become dependent on alcohol (8.7% vs. 3.3%). [7]
• UK men are three times as likely as women to report frequent drug use. [6]
• UK men struggling with their mental health are more likely to turn to drinking alcohol alone (13%, up from 9% in 2009) and taking recreational drugs (4%, up from 1% in 2009). [9]

Social Factors and At-Risk Groups

• Men report lower levels of life satisfaction than women, according to the UK government's national wellbeing survey. [6]
• UK men aged 45 to 59 report the lowest levels of life satisfaction of any group. [7]
• The biggest causes of mental health issues reported by UK men are work (32%), finances (31%), and their health (23%). [8]
• The number of UK men worried about their appearance rose from 18% in 2009 to 23% in 2019, with men aged 18–24 most affected (39%). [9]
• 73% of adults who go missing in the UK are men. [6]
• 87% of rough sleepers in the UK are men. [6]
• Men in the UK are more likely to be compulsorily detained ("sectioned") for treatment than women. [6]
• Men in the UK are 1.5 times more likely than women to be victims of violent crime. [6]
• Gay and bisexual men in the UK are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide across their lifetime than the rest of the population. [11]

USA Men's Mental Health Stats

Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety

• In 2022, 19.7% of US adult males had any mental illness in the past year, compared with 26.4% of females. [12]
• An estimated 59.3 million US adults — 23.1% of the adult population — had any mental illness in 2022. [12]
• 6.0% of US adults had a serious mental illness in 2022, with the prevalence higher among females (7.1%) than males (4.8%). [12]
• Over 6 million men in the US experience depression annually, but it often goes undiagnosed. [13]
• The past year prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adult females (10.3%) compared to males (6.2%). [14]
• Past year prevalence of any anxiety disorder was higher for females (23.4%) than for males (14.3%). [14]
• More than 3 million men in the US live with panic disorder, agoraphobia, or other phobias. [13]
• About 2.3 million Americans are affected by bipolar disorder at equal rates in men and women; men typically develop symptoms between ages 16–25. [13]
• Among those diagnosed with schizophrenia by age 30, 90% are men. [13]
• Globally, men are less likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition than women (12.5% vs. 13.5%), including depressive disorders (3.0% vs. 4.5%), despite higher rates of suicide and substance misuse. [15]
• About 50% of all mental health conditions begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24. [16]

Suicide Rates and Risk

• The suicide rate in the US is nearly 4 times higher among males than females. [16]
• Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death overall in the US in 2023. [16]
• Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10–14 and those aged 15–24 in the US in 2023. [16]
• 1 person dies by suicide in the US about every 11 minutes. [16]
• 46% of people who die by suicide in the US had a diagnosed mental health condition. [16]
• 90% of people who die by suicide may have experienced symptoms of a mental health disorder, according to psychological autopsies. [16]
• Among US males who die by suicide, firearm is the most common method, accounting for 60.7% of deaths in 2023. [12]
• In Illinois, men are 3.6 times more likely to die by suicide than women, with 1,182 male suicide deaths recorded in 2022. [15]
• In 2024, 14.3 million US adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide, and 2.2 million adults attempted suicide during the past year. [14]
• More than 60% of men who died by suicide had accessed mental health care services within the previous year. [17]

Help-Seeking and Treatment Gaps

• In 2021, only 40% of US men with a reported mental illness received mental health care services in the past year, compared with 52% of women. [17]
• In 2023, only 45.9% of US men aged 18 and older with a mental illness received treatment in the past year. [13]
• In 2023, just 17% of American men saw a mental health professional, compared with 28.5% of women. [17]
• Female adults receive mental illness treatment at a rate of 56.9%, compared with only 41.6% of male adults. [14]
• 23% of US men who had not tried therapy cited expense as a major barrier. [17]
• Mental health providers may miss or misdiagnose depression in men due to gender bias, as male symptoms often present as anger, risk-taking, or substance use rather than sadness. [17]
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, men sought mental health care 5 times more than the year before — yet treatment rates still lagged significantly behind women. [17]
• Up to 70% of young US men avoid mental health services altogether, waiting until problems reach crisis point. [17]

Loneliness and Social Isolation

• 1 in 4 US males aged 15–34 (25%) reported feeling lonely "a lot of the day" in a 2025 Gallup analysis — significantly higher than young women in the same age group. [17]
• 15% of US men report having no close friends, up from just 3% in 1990. [17]
• The rate of unemployment is higher among US adults who have mental illness (7.4%) compared to those who do not (4.6%). [16]

Substance Use and Co-occurring Issues

• 33.5% of US adults with mental illness also experienced a substance use disorder in 2021, representing 19.4 million individuals. [16]
• Serious mental illness costs the US economy $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year. [16]
• Depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year. [16]
• 17.6% of US veterans experienced a mental illness in 2023, representing 3.5 million people. [16]

At-Risk Population Groups

• Young US adults aged 18–25 had the highest prevalence of any mental illness (36.2%) compared to adults aged 26–49 (29.4%) and aged 50 and older (13.9%). [12]
• The prevalence of major depressive episode was highest among adolescents aged 18–25 (18.6%). [14]
• 20% of US high school students had serious thoughts of suicide in 2023. [16]
• 41% of US LGBTQ+ high school students had serious thoughts of suicide in 2023. [16]
• Transgender adults in the US are nearly 9 times more likely to attempt suicide at some point in their lifetime compared to the general population. [16]
• People with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the general population. [16]

References

[1] The Hospital Research Foundation Group — Men's Mental Health Research (2025) — https://hospitalresearch.org.au/research-area/mens-mental-health-research/

[2] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) — The Health of Men in Australia (updated Nov 2025) — https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mens-health/health-of-men

[3] Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) — Mental health of Australian males: depression, suicidality and loneliness (Ten to Men Insights Report) — https://aifs.gov.au/tentomen/insights-report/mental-health-australian-males-depression-suicidality-and-loneliness

[4] Beyond Blue — Men's Mental Health — https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/mens-mental-health

[5] Oxford Academic / Health Promotion International — E-mental health interventions for men (2024) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11000305/

[6] Mental Health Foundation — Men and Women: Statistics — https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/men-women-statistics

[7] Men's Health Forum — Key Data: Mental Health — https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/key-data-mental-health

[8] Priory Group — 40% of Men Won't Talk to Anyone About Their Mental Health — https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/40-of-men-wont-talk-to-anyone-about-their-mental-health

[9] Mind — Get It Off Your Chest: Men's Mental Health 10 Years On (2020) — https://www.mind.org.uk/media/6771/get-it-off-your-chest_a4_final.pdf

[10] Wobble — State of Young Men's Mental Health in the UK (2025) — https://www.getwobble.co.uk/blog/state-of-young-mens-mental-health-in-the-uk-trends-causes-and-solutions/

[11] Mental Health UK — Men's Mental Health — https://mentalhealth-uk.org/mens-mental-health/

[12] National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) — Mental Illness Statistics — https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness

[13] Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) — Men's Mental Health — https://adaa.org/find-help/by-demographics/mens-mental-health

[14] NIMH — Major Depression & Anxiety Disorder Statistics — https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression

[15] Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) — Men's Mental Health Facts and Statistics — https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/life-stages-populations/mens-health/facts-and-statistics/mental-health.html

[16] NAMI — Mental Health By the Numbers (updated 2025) — https://www.nami.org/mental-health-by-the-numbers/

[17] Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) — Men and Mental Health: What Are We Missing? (2024) — https://www.aamc.org/news/men-and-mental-health-what-are-we-missing

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