01st May, 2025 | By: Sanjna Senthil Kumar
In India, traditional gender norms and collective societal expectations shape personal identity, creating unique challenges for men dealing with mental health struggles. Depression among Indian men is often masked by substance use, aggression, or stoicism. While global awareness of men’s mental health is growing, India’s socio-cultural landscape complicates help-seeking behaviors, contributing to a significant and often silent mental health burden (Aparna & Vijayan, 2024).
According to the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), approximately 13.7% of India’s population suffers from various mental disorders, with depression being among the most prevalent. Yet, help-seeking behavior among Indian men remains critically low due to societal expectations, stigma, and limited access to services. Studies show that men are less likely than women to seek psychological help and are more prone to externalizing symptoms like irritability, alcohol misuse, and risk-taking behaviors (Valipay et al., 2019; Mukherjee et al., 2023).
Indian society continues to uphold hegemonic masculinity—a belief system that equates manhood with emotional control, physical toughness, and financial provision. Help-seeking behavior is often viewed as weakness, and men who seek therapy may feel a sense of personal failure. The stigma operates at multiple levels: individual, familial, community, and systemic. Many Indian men fear being labeled “mad” or “unstable,” leading to emotional suppression and internalized stigma.
Inadequate integration of mental health services into primary care, workplaces, and education systems further exacerbates the problem. These systemic shortcomings create a multifaceted barrier to early diagnosis and intervention, worsening symptoms over time and, in severe cases, leading to suicide (Chatterjee, 2024).
Rather than seeking help, many men adopt maladaptive coping strategies. Avoiding or denying emotional pain is often perceived as a masculine way of dealing with stress. This results in behaviors such as social withdrawal, substance abuse, risk-taking, and overworking. These actions are frequently misunderstood as character traits rather than symptoms of underlying depression.
Access to quality mental health care remains inadequate. The psychiatrist-to-patient ratio in India is only 0.75 per 100,000 people—far below the WHO recommendation. Urban-rural disparities further compound the issue. Even when services are available, attitudinal barriers persist. Men often view therapy as a “last resort” and fear breaches of confidentiality or social backlash (Gough & Novikova, 2020). Cultural constructs like izzat (honor) reinforce this silence, making emotional vulnerability socially unacceptable.
There is an urgent need to promote healthier models of masculinity—ones that allow vulnerability, emotional openness, and help-seeking. Digital mental health platforms like YourDOST, Wysa, and Mfine are offering anonymous and accessible support, reaching men who are reluctant to seek in-person counseling.
Gender-Sensitive Counseling Training
Training clinicians in gender-sensitive diagnostics can help them identify male-pattern depression and engage clients more effectively. Therapeutic approaches that include practical exercises, solution-focused techniques, and collaborative goal-setting have proven appealing to many men (Oliffe et al., 2020). Beyond the clinic, online and community-based interventions hold promise in normalizing mental health support.
Masculinity norms intersect with issues such as homophobia, job insecurity, unemployment, and ineffective mental health services. Education systems must embed mental health literacy early on, particularly targeting boys. Media representations should challenge stereotypes and showcase emotionally expressive male characters who seek support.
Families, especially male caregivers, play a crucial role in breaking the cycle. When fathers model emotional openness, younger men are more likely to internalize such behavior as normal and healthy. Open family discussions can significantly reduce shame and self-stigma.
Male depression in India is not just a clinical concern—it is a socio-cultural and systemic challenge. Addressing it requires dismantling toxic masculinity, challenging stigma, improving access to care, and implementing culturally sensitive interventions. Creating safe spaces—online, in clinics, schools, homes, and workplaces—will empower men to speak up, seek help, and heal.
The time to break the silence is now.