Back in November 2024, I reviewed the book Of Boys and Men by Richard V. Reeves. He studies the reasons men are falling behind women with respect to education, and he emphasizes the need for men to begin transitioning into fields traditionally dominated by women—what he calls HEAL jobs (health, education, administration, and literacy).

Pamela Paul, a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, wrote a piece about the absence of male psychologists and the implications for boys and men.

In the piece, she highlighted that psychology was originally male-dominated and focused on issues like aggression, trauma, and conflict. As more women entered the field—eventually becoming the majority—the focus expanded to include topics like relationships, meaning, and well-being, which is generally seen as a positive development. However, this shift has also coincided with less attention to issues specifically affecting boys and men.

Today, men are underrepresented in mental health professions, and some experts argue this comes at a critical time.

In the U.S., men account for only 18% of social workers and 20% of psychologists, down from 38% and 68% in 1968, respectively, according to the American Institute of Boys and Men (AIBM)¹, a research and advocacy organization founded in 2023. According to the CareerExplorer website, the 2026 numbers are 19% for social workers² and 21% for clinical psychologists³.

The article explains that many men are struggling—with rising suicide rates, academic decline among boys, workplace challenges, and social isolation—yet there is relatively little focus on how to help them. Some critics say the field often approaches men from a “deficit perspective,” emphasizing what’s wrong with them rather than understanding their differences.

AIBM reported that men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women, and that there was an 8% increase in the suicide rate among young men aged 15 to 24 from 2020 to 2021⁴. There were no changes in the suicide rate among males in 2023 (latest data). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), males make up about 50% of the population but account for nearly 80% of suicides⁵.

The article suggests that although a therapist’s gender doesn’t usually determine outcomes, some men feel more comfortable opening up to male therapists, especially when discussing sensitive or personal topics. This is particularly true for men in traditionally masculine professions like the military or emergency services. As a retired Army officer, I can attest to this, and I believe it is partly due to how the military has historically viewed mental health as a sign of weakness. The military has improved significantly, but it still has a long way to go. This aligns with what the article identified: cultural expectations around masculinity, discomfort with vulnerability, and a lack of male representation in the field can make it harder for men to engage in mental health care.

After reading Of Boys and Men and the Wall Street Journal article, I began to wonder: why don’t more men pursue careers in mental health professions?

After doing some research, various sources identified the following as possible reasons why fewer men are entering fields like social work and psychology:

1. Cultural expectations about masculinity. From an early age, many men are steered away from “helping professions,” which society has traditionally labeled as feminine.
2. Lower pay and prestige. Fields like social work and counseling tend to pay less than careers many men are encouraged to pursue such as engineering, business, and tech.
3. Lack of representation and role models.
4. Perception of bias or not feeling welcome. Some male students report feeling out of place in training programs or that men’s issues are minimized in coursework.
5. Different communication and emotional norms. On average, men are less expressive about emotions. That can make careers centered on emotional processing and verbal communication feel less intuitive or appealing.
6. Alternative career paths for similar motivations. Men who want to “help” others may look toward fields seen as more traditionally masculine—like the military, law enforcement, coaching, or firefighting—rather than therapy or social work.

When did the shift happen? The consensus is that the key shift began in the 1960s as women started attending college and graduate school in large numbers. At the same time, psychology itself began to change—from a focus on behaviorism, pathology, and experimental research (traditionally dominated by men) to counseling, therapy, and human development, which aligned more with interests traditionally encouraged in women.

It was particularly interesting to read this article in the context of today’s environment, where some public figures seem intent on projecting exaggerated versions of masculinity. In the United States, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Health and Human Services come to mind. You see it in narratives around women in combat or in performative displays meant to signal toughness—like working out in the gym shirtless and in jeans—which bring to mind images of Vladimir Putin riding shirtless on a horse, or the larger-than-life persona of Fabio Lanzoni in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

At the same time, the rise of the manosphere is concerning. I consider it dangerous, as it may deepen the challenges already faced by boys and men rather than help solve them. It certainly won’t encourage more men to enter the mental health professions—fields where they are clearly needed.

If there’s any doubt, just look at how often high-profile men—who once projected invulnerability—seek professional help after personal or moral crises, even if they were previously dismissive of mental health services. That pattern alone shows the importance of accessible and relatable mental health support.

Men don’t need to do anything extraordinary to prove their manhood. Those who choose to pursue careers as psychologists, social workers, or in any mental health–related field are already providing a great service to humanity—and proving their strength through actions, not words.

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1. https://aibm.org/research/men-in-social-work-psychology/ ↩︎
2. https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/social-worker/demographics/ ↩︎
3. https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/clinical-psychologist/demographics/ ↩︎
4. https://aibm.org/why-we-exist/focus-areas/mental-health/ ↩︎
5. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html ↩︎

• Social Commentary