Movember: Getting Men to Talk About Mental Health

Nov 5, 2026

Reviewed by Dr. Olsen
M.D. Medical Director, Psychiatrist

Quick answer: Movember is a November campaign focused on men’s health, including men’s mental health and suicide prevention. Men are less likely than women to seek help for depression or anxiety, and their symptoms often show up as irritability, overwork, or drinking rather than sadness. Starting the conversation early, and keeping it practical, makes treatment more likely.

Every November, a lot of men grow mustaches for a month. The Movember movement started in Australia in 2003 and now raises money and attention for men’s health worldwide, with mental health and suicide prevention as one of its core causes. The mustache is the easy part. The harder part is the thing it’s meant to start: a conversation about men’s mental health that many men have spent years avoiding.

This post is for two groups of people. The first is men who suspect something is off but haven’t said it out loud. The second is the partners, friends, siblings, and coworkers who have noticed and don’t know how to bring it up.

Why men talk about it less

Most men were taught some version of the same rule growing up: handle it yourself, don’t complain, and don’t make your problems someone else’s problem. That rule works fine for a flat tire. It works badly for depression, which tends to get worse the longer it goes unaddressed.

The result shows up in the data. Men are less likely than women to be diagnosed with depression and less likely to receive mental health treatment, yet men die by suicide at nearly four times the rate of women in the United States, according to the CDC. Part of that gap comes from men going years without a diagnosis because their symptoms don’t match what they think depression looks like.

What depression often looks like in men

The textbook picture of depression is persistent sadness. Many men experience it differently, and they may not connect what they feel to a mental health condition at all. Common signs include:

Irritability, a short temper, or anger that seems out of proportion
Working longer hours, or throwing themselves into a project to avoid thinking
Drinking more, or relying on cannabis or other substances to unwind
Pulling back from friends, family, or activities they used to enjoy
Physical complaints such as headaches, stomach problems, back pain, or constant fatigue
Trouble sleeping, or sleeping far more than usual
Feeling numb or flat rather than sad
Taking more risks, such as driving recklessly or spending impulsively

Any one of these on a bad week means very little. Several of them lasting two weeks or more is worth a conversation with a professional.

How to start the conversation with a man in your life

If you’re worried about someone, the way you open matters more than finding perfect words. A few approaches tend to work:

Talk side by side. Many men find it easier to talk while driving, walking, or working on something together than sitting face to face. The conversation feels less like an intervention.

Lead with what you’ve noticed. “You’ve seemed wiped out the last few weeks, and you haven’t been to the Thursday game in a while” is easier to hear than “I think you’re depressed.” Specific observations are hard to argue with and don’t put a label on anyone.

Ask, then listen. “How are you doing, really?” followed by silence gives him room to answer. Resist the urge to fix things in the first five minutes.

Make the next step small. Suggesting a single appointment, a telehealth visit, or a check-in with his primary care provider is easier to agree to than “you need therapy.”

Follow up. One conversation rarely changes anything. Checking in again a week later tells him you meant it.

If you’re the one who’s struggling

Getting help for depression or anxiety is a medical decision, the same as seeing someone about a knee that won’t heal. A psychiatric evaluation is a structured conversation about your symptoms, sleep, energy, work, and history. You don’t have to have the right words for what’s going on. Describing what has changed is enough.

Some things that make starting easier:

Telehealth is an option. Many appointments, especially medication management, can happen over video from home or a parked car at lunch.
You don’t have to commit to anything long-term. A first visit is an assessment. What happens next is your decision, made with your provider.
Treatment works. Depression and anxiety are among the most treatable conditions in medicine. Options range from therapy and medication to treatments like TMS therapy when medications haven’t helped.

If you’re not sure whether what you’re feeling counts, our 5-minute mental health check-in is a quick way to take stock.

When it’s more urgent

If you or a man in your life is having thoughts of suicide, don’t wait for the right moment to bring it up. Asking someone directly whether they’re thinking about suicide does not put the idea in their head, and it often comes as a relief. Our guide to understanding suicidal thoughts covers how to have that conversation.

If you are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Movember?

Movember is an annual campaign held every November in which participants grow mustaches, or take on other challenges, to raise money and awareness for men’s health. Its causes include men’s mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

What are signs of depression in men?

Depression in men often shows up as irritability, anger, fatigue, overworking, increased drinking, withdrawal from friends, physical complaints like headaches or stomach problems, and feeling numb rather than sad. Several of these lasting two weeks or more is a reason to talk to a professional.

How do I talk to a man about his mental health?

Choose a low-pressure setting, such as a walk or a drive. Describe specific changes you’ve noticed rather than offering a diagnosis, ask how he’s doing and listen, suggest one small next step like a single appointment, and check in again later.

Can men get mental health treatment through telehealth?

Yes. BestMind Behavioral Health offers telehealth psychiatry for patients physically located in Oregon or Washington, including evaluations and ongoing medication management. In-person care is available at clinics across both states.

Talk to someone this month

BestMind Behavioral Health offers psychiatric care, medication management, and advanced depression treatment at clinics across Oregon and Washington, plus telehealth in both states. New patients can often be seen within a few days.