A recent study has indicated a significant decrease in boys seeking mental health care, raising concerns among mental health specialists that depression among young and teenage boys is going unnoticed and untreated. Experts believe that boys often struggle to express their emotions openly due to societal expectations or self-imposed pressure.
According to family therapist Jay Barnett, young boys tend to internalize their emotions, leading to outward symptoms such as aggressive behavior, irritability, and a short temper. The lack of a constructive model for emotional expression could be contributing to this issue. Research published in the Journal of Pediatrics revealed that while the use of antidepressants has increased significantly among teenage girls and women in their 20s, the rate has sharply declined for young men in 2020 and has not recovered. This trend is raising concerns about the implications for the mental health of these young men as they age.
Experts fear that a generation of young males may struggle to regulate their emotions, leading to heightened aggression and dismissiveness. Without the necessary tools to cope with their feelings, these young men may face challenges in managing their mental health and relationships in the future. Mental health specialists are calling for more awareness and resources to help identify and treat depression among young and teenage boys.
