Men’s wellbeing is in a state of crisis. Globally, men account for nearly 80 percent of all suicide deaths, 75 percent of those with substance use disorders, yet less than a third of those who engage with mental health services.

To talk about why that is and what organizations can do—as leaders, managers, mentors and peers—Marketing Specialist Noah Gerace sat down with Clinical Outreach Team Lead Hadi Alame to hear his thoughts in an all-new episode of Wellbeing at Work.

Together, they explore:

• The conditions that adversely affect men’s wellbeing in the workplace
• The importance of psychological safety in promoting help-seeking
• The costs and consequences of organizations’ inaction

Read an excerpt from their conversation below:

Noah: We talk a lot about the importance of psychological safety, but I’m wondering: What does that actually look like in practice? What can organizations do to create an environment where men feel safe, supported, and empowered to seek help?

Hadi: So, this is where it becomes a bit of a long-term plan, because especially when it comes to mental health, everything is easier said than done. It’s not just sending out a one-time email, or having a one-off meeting. It’s about demonstrating consistent behavior that’s shown throughout the organization and throughout the team to ensure that psychological safety is intertwined with day-to-day work, as opposed to just during one-off events like World Mental Health Day. It’s about demonstrating that consistency every single day, throughout the year, every year.

So the first thing is visibility. Especially if you have male leaders, it’s important to encourage them to open up about things they’re going through or have been through to set the tone. It’s not about announcing things to the entire company, but admitting to a colleague or to one’s team, “I’m having a bad day,” or “I’m struggling,” or “I’m going through something at home.” Because we’re all human—we’re all going to go through things at one point or another. It’s not about dumping on someone but about being forthcoming and having open conversations about what’s happening in our lives and normalizing it.

Everybody looks up to their team lead, their manager, their CEO. So if someone in one of those positions admits to going through a tough time, or opens up about seeing a therapist or reaching out for support, it’s going to have a ripple effect across the organization. It plants the seeds for proactive help-seeking.

The other thing is flexibility. Leaders need to be accepting of the fact that some days your employees are not going to be at 100 percent and that’s okay. If they need to take care of themselves, that’s absolutely fine. If you need to take a mental health day, take a mental health day. If that helps you to anchor yourself and figure out next steps, go for it. There should be no repercussions for taking that time to make sure you’re okay—because in the end, that’s only going to benefit everyone.

Noah: Absolutely. I think that is an excellent answer. I agree that there definitely needs to be that culture of awareness in the workplace that tells men it’s okay to talk—to be heard, to be seen—and not have to go through that battle alone. Well said.

Hadi: And then if I could add to that—there’s also a tendency among men where, if there is a problem, we think we can just find the solution. “Let me find the best way to resolve it.” But when it comes to mental health, that’s usually not an option—in the sense that, there is no clear fix to whatever we’re going through because our brains are intricate sponges that have their own ways of working and seeing the world. So a lot of times, if you are someone seeking help, it’s about listening rather than fixing.

In my work, I would say about 85 percent of the time my clients already know what to do. But it’s about that pressure release—that venting—so they can avoid that build-up and reconnect with people and feel seen. And if someone on the receiving end of that doesn’t know what to do, simply ask the question, “Do you want advice or do you just want to vent?” and that gives you a clear direction of where the conversation should go.

Noah: Absolutely, I completely agree. Sometimes it’s just the act of opening up that’s helpful.

Hadi: Yes. And for organizations, the takeaway is that in order to build that psychological safety in the workplace, you have to encourage and normalize vulnerability. It all starts with being able to have honest conversations about mental health in the workplace. If you give somebody that safe space to be honest—not just with others, but with themselves —that’s the first step toward improved mental health.

Interested in hearing the full conversation? Tune in now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or on our podcasts page. For more information, connect with us today.