You wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 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香蕉视频直播檛 just the lack of resources for men香蕉视频直播檚 mental health 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 the lack of conversation
That silence, he says, is rooted in something deeper: traditional masculinity.
香蕉视频直播淚 think there are still messages out there about what it means to be a man,香蕉视频直播� Sayad said. 香蕉视频直播淧eople have trouble reconciling some of those ideas with needing to show vulnerability, or needing to reach out and speak about their depression.香蕉视频直播�
The messaging that men should 香蕉视频直播渉old it in香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渢ough it out香蕉视频直播� is decades old 香蕉视频直播� and it香蕉视频直播檚 still winning.
For years, men have made up only about 30 per cent of South Island Counselling香蕉视频直播檚 clients 香蕉视频直播� a number that hasn香蕉视频直播檛 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 香蕉视频直播� those between 30 and 59 香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檚 Health Foundation (CMHF) found that 64 per cent of men were experiencing moderate to high levels of stress 香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檛 surprised at the numbers. Most men, he said, don香蕉视频直播檛 feel comfortable sitting down and opening up.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not just about stigma 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渜uiet withdrawal香蕉视频直播� as the most common clue that something香蕉视频直播檚 wrong. But knowing what to say 香蕉视频直播� or how to encourage a man to open up 香蕉视频直播� isn香蕉视频直播檛 always easy. Sometimes, just making it clear that it香蕉视频直播檚 okay to talk can make all the difference.
That香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 message isn香蕉视频直播檛 aimed at the man wearing the hat 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 for those around him.
香蕉视频直播淭he hat messaging isn香蕉视频直播檛 to support the man wearing it 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 to support the men surrounding him,香蕉视频直播� Parsons said. The hat serves as a visual cue that the person wearing it is open to connection and talking about mental health.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 the beauty of the hat 香蕉视频直播� no words need to be exchanged for the interaction to be meaningful. A life could be saved in complete silence.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淭his was created not by doctors or clinicians, but as a direct response to the lack of entry-level resources,香蕉视频直播� Parsons said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a tool, not a solution 香蕉视频直播� but it香蕉视频直播檚 a place to start.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播� hiking, sports, shared projects 香蕉视频直播� might feel more accessible and less intimidating.
香蕉视频直播淚f you started a men香蕉视频直播檚 support group, you probably wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 get a lot of attendance,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut if it was built around something they enjoy doing, that香蕉视频直播檚 a different story.香蕉视频直播�
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 香蕉视频直播� a good sign, he says 香蕉视频直播� the numbers are still far too low.
香蕉视频直播淐onnection is foundational to being human,香蕉视频直播� Sayad said. 香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檙e feeling a lack of connection in the world, it香蕉视频直播檚 OK to seek it. And it香蕉视频直播檚 OK to be vulnerable. It usually rarely makes anyone feel worse after having a therapy session.香蕉视频直播�
For men in Greater Victoria, one such option is the Men香蕉视频直播檚 Therapy Centre, which offers specialized counselling services tailored to men. It香蕉视频直播檚 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.
