According to the Colorado Health Institute, the male death by suicide rate is three times higher than women. Now, a new mental health app created specifically for men is here to help.
According to data obtained by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, men make up more than 83% of all deaths by suicide, and yet they are the least likely group to seek help for mental health issues.
“Traditionally, men have been less likely to seek support for mental health issues. This is probably for a number of reasons, including stigma and the traditional ‘strong male’ stereotype still prevalent in our society – the idea that expressing emotion is a sign of weakness,” explained Dr. Natasha Bijlani, a consultant psychiatrist at Priory Hospital Roehampton.
Mental co-founder Anson Whitmer, Ph.D.’s dedication to the app goes beyond the look and its tech capabilities. In conjunction with his medical background, a personal experience was a driving force behind the app.
“When I was 19, my uncle, who was one of my best friends, killed himself,” he says to USA Today. “He tried to get help, but none of the therapists or clinical approaches resonated with him. My research was driven by a desire to understand what causes men like my uncle to develop mood disorders like depression.”
Whitmer and Mental co-founder Tyle Sheaffer were both teammates at Calm— a $2 billion mental health app — and saw a need to serve a community that is often left out of the conversation when talking about mental health issues.
“At Mental, we are meeting men where they are at,” Whitmer said. “Instead of ‘man up, be emotionless’ or ‘just be emotionally vulnerable,’ we are offering a third way: actionable, evidence-based tools that simply solve your problems.”
For more information visit GetMental.com and look for the Get Mental app in your Apple App store or Google Play.
