Although mental health awareness is on the rise in general, there is still a disparity when it comes to addressing men’s mental health. In an effort to bridge this gap, a new mental health app specifically created for men has been launched.
“To solve the male suicide crisis, we have to innovate with solutions that resonate with men,” says Anson Whitmer, co-founder of the Mental app, in an interview with USA Today.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, men account for more than 83 percent of all suicide deaths, yet they are the least likely group to seek help for mental health problems.
Anson Whitmer, the co-founder of the Mental app, took a personal approach to develop the app. Inspired by his own experience, Whitmer aimed to understand why men like his uncle develop mood disorders such as depression. When Whitmer was 19, his uncle, whom he described as his best friend, committed suicide despite attempting to seek help.
The American Institute of Stress reports that approximately 73 percent of people experience stress that affects their mental health, with nearly half facing difficulty sleeping due to stress and 77 percent stating that stress has a direct impact on their physical health.
Whitmer, along with Mental co-founder Tyler Sheaffer, previously worked on Calm—a $2 billion mental health app—and identified the need to address the specific mental health needs of men, which are often overlooked in conversations about mental health.
“At Mental, we look for men where they are,” Whitmer explains. “Instead of promoting the idea of ‘be a man; don’t have emotions’ or ‘just be emotionally vulnerable,’ we offer a third way: actionable, evidence-based tools that simply solve your problems.”
The Mental app aims to provide men with resources and tools that are tailored to their needs, empowering them to take control of their mental health. With a focus on delivering effective solutions, the app seeks to encourage men to seek help and support when dealing with mental health challenges.
As the conversation around mental health progresses, it is crucial to ensure that men are not left behind. The Mental app offers a promising solution to address the unique mental health needs of men, providing them with the support and resources necessary to navigate their mental well-being effectively.
Original post By Ebony Williams ∙ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
