You wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 know it from looking, but men across Greater Victoria, and Canada, are struggling.
That's why June, recognized as Men's Mental Health Month, offers an important opportunity to raise awareness and share information about just how staggering those numbers are.
For Richard Sayad, director of clinical services at South Island Counselling, the issue isn乌鸦传媒檛 just the lack of resources for men乌鸦传媒檚 mental health 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 the lack of conversation
That silence, he says, is rooted in something deeper: traditional masculinity.
乌鸦传媒淚 think there are still messages out there about what it means to be a man,乌鸦传媒� Sayad said. 乌鸦传媒淧eople have trouble reconciling some of those ideas with needing to show vulnerability, or needing to reach out and speak about their depression.乌鸦传媒�
The messaging that men should 乌鸦传媒渉old it in乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒渢ough it out乌鸦传媒� is decades old 乌鸦传媒� and it乌鸦传媒檚 still winning.
For years, men have made up only about 30 per cent of South Island Counselling乌鸦传媒檚 clients 乌鸦传媒� a number that hasn乌鸦传媒檛 budged despite greater public awareness around mental health.
National data paints a stark picture.
According to the Government of Canada men accounted for nearly 75 per cent of all suicide deaths in 2022.
Middle-aged men 乌鸦传媒� those between 30 and 59 乌鸦传媒� represented more than half of those cases. In 2019, 1.66 million Canadian men reported seriously contemplating suicide at some point in their lives.
A 2025 national survey conducted by the Canadian Men乌鸦传媒檚 Health Foundation (CMHF) found that 64 per cent of men were experiencing moderate to high levels of stress 乌鸦传媒� up four per cent from the previous year.
About one in four were at risk of moderate to severe depression, and half said they were at risk of social isolation. Despite those numbers, 67 per cent of men said they had never reached out for professional mental health support.
"Men's mental health is declining at an alarming rate, and too many, especially younger men, are facing these struggles on their own," Kenton Boston, president & CEO of CMHF, said. "We want men to know they aren't alone, that the CMHF is here for them and has tools to support them."
Sayad isn乌鸦传媒檛 surprised at the numbers. Most men, he said, don乌鸦传媒檛 feel comfortable sitting down and opening up.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not just about stigma 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 about how men relate differently. Generally, men are less likely to just talk to people about their problems," he said.
The can be subtle.
Sayad points to what he calls a 乌鸦传媒渜uiet withdrawal乌鸦传媒� as the most common clue that something乌鸦传媒檚 wrong. But knowing what to say 乌鸦传媒� or how to encourage a man to open up 乌鸦传媒� isn乌鸦传媒檛 always easy. Sometimes, just making it clear that it乌鸦传媒檚 okay to talk can make all the difference.
That乌鸦传媒檚 the idea behind a new grassroots initiative being launched in Victoria by mental health advocate Carrie Parsons.
t is, on the surface, a hat with a tree symbol. But the meaning behind it runs much deeper.
Parsons, founder of the West Coast Speaks Health Society, designed the project as a low-barrier entry point for men who may not be ready for therapy, but still need to feel supported.
The project乌鸦传媒檚 message isn乌鸦传媒檛 aimed at the man wearing the hat 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 for those around him.
乌鸦传媒淭he hat messaging isn乌鸦传媒檛 to support the man wearing it 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 to support the men surrounding him,乌鸦传媒� Parsons said. The hat serves as a visual cue that the person wearing it is open to connection and talking about mental health.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 the beauty of the hat 乌鸦传媒� no words need to be exchanged for the interaction to be meaningful. A life could be saved in complete silence.乌鸦传媒�
Each purchase of a Sitka Project hat follows a buy-one-give-one model. One goes to the buyer, and the other is given away, creating a quiet, visible network of support.
The first batch is being produced locally at Rain Coast Print Shop, with the hopes that the hats will help ignite a broader conversation.
乌鸦传媒淭his was created not by doctors or clinicians, but as a direct response to the lack of entry-level resources,乌鸦传媒� Parsons said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a tool, not a solution 乌鸦传媒� but it乌鸦传媒檚 a place to start.乌鸦传媒�
Sayad agrees that non-traditional approaches might be the key. In his experience, support groups and therapy sessions tend to attract more women than men. A group built around an activity 乌鸦传媒� hiking, sports, shared projects 乌鸦传媒� might feel more accessible and less intimidating.
乌鸦传媒淚f you started a men乌鸦传媒檚 support group, you probably wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 get a lot of attendance,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淏ut if it was built around something they enjoy doing, that乌鸦传媒檚 a different story.乌鸦传媒�
While some progress is being made, Sayad is clear-eyed about the work that remains. Loneliness among men, especially those aged 25 to 35, is a growing issue. And although more older men are starting to seek therapy 乌鸦传媒� a good sign, he says 乌鸦传媒� the numbers are still far too low.
乌鸦传媒淐onnection is foundational to being human,乌鸦传媒� Sayad said. 乌鸦传媒淚f you乌鸦传媒檙e feeling a lack of connection in the world, it乌鸦传媒檚 OK to seek it. And it乌鸦传媒檚 OK to be vulnerable. It usually rarely makes anyone feel worse after having a therapy session.乌鸦传媒�
For men in Greater Victoria, one such option is the Men乌鸦传媒檚 Therapy Centre, which offers specialized counselling services tailored to men. It乌鸦传媒檚 one of the few male-focused resources in the region.
are available for men to access.
But broader cultural change is needed.
The hope for both Sayad and Parsons is that community-based, grassroots efforts like the Sitka Project can help bridge the gap, offering quiet signs of solidarity until louder conversations are ready to be had.
Because, as the data makes clear, silence is no longer an option.
