The suffering of young men – these are the most common causes

Children, adolescents and young people are suffering the most from the effects of the pandemic – this finding is undisputed. The psychological state of women, in particular, has deteriorated, as shown by numerous studies. But the latest CSS health study also spotlights a group whose mental health has barely been discussed until now: A full 10 percent of young men between the ages of 18 and 30 stated they were in poor health. This high value is surprising, because men in particular tend to be reluctant to assess their own mental state.

But that doesn’t mean you’re actually better off than women; instead, they tend to downplay or even deny their worries and fears – old role models are still influential. One can only speculate why the CSS Health Study of all things gave a different and therefore probably more differentiated picture. The question may have played a role: «How well are you emotionally or psychologically?»? The focus on ’emotional’ yields different answers than the mere focus on ‘mental’, as mental illness continues to be stigmatized.

In any case, the BBC made a similar experience in its “Loneliness Experiment”: It found that men in all age groups feel lonelier than women. Because this didn’t match with previous other studies, the researchers quickly had the explanation at hand: Men would be stigmatized more often if they admitted they felt lonely – so they wouldn’t do it, in everyday life just as little as in surveys. The highlight of the BBC survey: The word “lonely” was simply left out and the feeling asked differently. It turns out that men suffer from loneliness more often than women.

But why is it as many as 10 percent of young men between the ages of 18 and 30 who say they are doing poorly? Alain Di Gallo, director of the Clinic for Children and Adolescents of the University Psychiatric Clinic in Basel, knows from experience that men suffer no less than women. He notes that mental health problems, especially in young men, often make themselves feel differently: “They tend to bring out their emotional problems more, they are more tense, restless and aggressive,” says the child and adolescent psychiatrist. This way of dealing with one’s own difficulties, which amounts to oppression, sets in motion a downward spiral. “It is important that we as a society take a good look. Young men with their mental illness are not visible for a long time, so a lot is happening in secret,” says Alain Di Gallo.

The corona pandemic is not the trigger here – rather, it has accelerated a development that psychiatrists and psychologists have been observing since 2010. These are some of the reasons.

Alain Di Gallo, also co-chair of the Swiss Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, emphasizes the pressure to perform to which more and more young people are exposed. “The schedule is tight, many want to represent something and be available all the time. It’s a huge stress load.” This is in line with the findings of the CSS health study: Nearly 60 percent of 18 to 30-year-olds classify stress at work as particularly harmful to their health — even more than lack of exercise (32 percent) or eating habits (36 percent). According to the psychiatrist, these conditions are mainly those young adults who are shy, reserved and come from difficult backgrounds. “In a crisis, they don’t need much to isolate themselves and possibly even go to school. or further education or to give up their jobs.”

Paradoxically, another cause is the freedom afforded to young people today – right up to the freedom to continue to create and reinvent their own identity. This makes many young people unstable. In addition: “Despite the many freedoms, the pressure to standardize is high. Today, someone who wants to belong to something quickly falls out of sight,” Di Gallo explains.

Markus Theunert, expert in the field of men and gender issues and trained psychologist, emphasizes the difficult search for the question of who one really is. A quest that is especially difficult for young men. «Young adulthood has traditionally been the stage where you have to find your place in society. For young men this means that they have to learn to move in a large field of tension: between what one has learned, how a ‘real man’ should behave and how one is oneself. It’s a demanding process.”

Men face conflicting expectations: Today, a man must be a caring and committed father, a socially competent interlocutor, an empathetic lover and a team player. However, these requirements would not have replaced the old masculinity standard of the high-performing breadwinner. “They co-exist – and in some cases they are in direct competition with each other. But that is hardly talked about in the general public,” says Markus Theunert, general manager of men.ch, the umbrella organization of progressive Swiss men’s and fathers’ organizations. The two competing images of men also play a role in the risk of burnout. “Young fathers, for example, decide to be a different father than they experienced as a child with their father. But they still want to bear the breadwinner responsibility. Of course, this mix of new and old mentality means stress.”

Against this background, according to Theunert, confidence in the promises associated with late patriarchal capitalism is declining, especially among young men. “More and more men no longer believe they can achieve anything. That there is a great career open to them and that they have a chance to pick up attractive women. They feel like they can’t keep up anymore and they depend.”

Child and adolescent psychiatrist Di Gallo makes similar observations. “The demands for certain jobs are becoming more and more demanding, but at the same time people in Switzerland like to emphasize the permeability of the system. This gives the impression that the path leads permanently upwards. But today the fear of relegation and the future is widespread.” The research also supports these considerations. Especially young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 cite the lack of perspective as a stressful factor for their own health.

Despite all the emphasis on social influences on mental health, it’s important to note that mental illness is rarely due to just one cause and can also be genetic. “Gender or imprints often play a role: for example, if someone in a family already suffers from depression, the risk is greater. This also applies to painful experiences such as divorce, abuse or violence. And of course, current tensions such as bullying or family crises can cause or exacerbate psychological problems,” says Di Gallo.

If you have the occasional flaccid or violent mood swings, don’t worry – that’s part of it, especially at a young age. Typical symptoms of depression are, for example, a prolonged low mood, loss of pleasure and interest, and a great lack of drive. In anxiety disorders, the feelings of anxiety are very pronounced and seriously affect the quality of life and everyday life of those affected. Caution is advised here.

The website of “How are you?”, a Health Promotion Switzerland campaign, provides a good overview of the various help offers. Here you can search specifically for child and adolescent psychiatrists and psychotherapists, or here for adult psychiatrists and psychotherapists.