Feelings of loneliness are amplified in February and become the dominant emotion for many people. For some men, that feeling may last the rest of the year.
Male loneliness is a growing problem among college students and has received the attention of both San Francisco State University students and health care professionals. Even though women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression, men are more likely than women to hide their emotions. Male loneliness is both a result and a cause of men’s reluctance to seek help, as it is often stigmatized, especially among young college students. Research shows that college students have reported the most symptoms of depression and anxiety over the past 15 years, whether they’re taking on adult responsibilities for the first time or living far from home. . NEA.org study.
Brandon Whiting, 35, is originally from South Carolina, but has called San Francisco home for the past 10 years. Whiting, a political science student, said moving to San Francisco was one of the best decisions he made in his life. However, living across the country also created a sense of loneliness for him.
“When you get older, especially when you go to San Francisco State University, it’s hard to make friends,” Whiting said. “You can see that women socialize more with themselves than with men. Here’s one thing I noticed: There are far more lonely men here than lonely women. You’ll notice.”
Whiting, a men’s rights activist, said it’s difficult to advocate for men’s rights on campus.
“[The] There’s the mental health aspect, but there’s also the immediate conclusion that all men are bad. There is a negative view of men in general, especially in this school. It’s very feminist-driven, so if you have an idea that doesn’t go against that line, you’re going to be alone,” Whiting said. “It’s hard to come out as a men’s rights advocate because people immediately think you’re a misogynist.”
According to Karen Boyce, director of SFSU’s Center for Health Promotion and Wellness, HPW is part of GatorHealth, meaning all student tuition is prepaid and all services require no additional fees. , says it aims to make campus a healthier environment for everyone.
Services include student health counseling and psychological services. HPW promotes the idea that staying healthy on campus should be easy, whether it’s for maintaining your physical or mental health. In spring 2021, HPW conducted the National College Health Assessment Survey on campus and revealed that 52% of students who identify as male reported experiencing loneliness.
“Historically, male students are much less likely to have access to health and human services resources,” Boyce said. “Loneliness, feelings[s] We hear a lot from our students about isolation. That’s one of the things that they feel is a challenge and one of the underlying things that is negatively impacting their mental health. ”
Boyce noted that more women are turning to HPW for resources. She said the disparity in men seeking help was not just due to the men themselves, but was also influenced by the stigma surrounding them and their mental health. She added that many men don’t know how to access mental health services in the first place. In 2023, 32% of people who accessed HPW’s services and workshops were students who identified as male, Boyce said.
Johnny Fung, HPW’s student assistant for men’s social and emotional health, creates social media content, newsletters, and events focused on men’s mental health on campus. This semester, Hung walked around campus asking students who identified as men why they thought men didn’t seek help for mental health issues. Students told him it was because of the pervasive stigma surrounding mental health.
“Many young men don’t have the vocabulary to talk about their emotions. It’s a skill that’s like something to practice. It’s like knowing the difference between guilt and shame,” Huang said. Told. “Communication, trust, and knowing boundaries” [are]. That is one of the first factors that makes it difficult for men to express their feelings and weaknesses. ”
When speaking with Latino men on campus, Huang said the students brought up the concept of “masculinity” and the expectations men have to live up to in society. Hwang brought up the term to indicate that loneliness can be a symptom of a variety of issues that can be caused by factors other than mental health. He said social and cultural norms condition men to play the role of household leader and home provider without expressing their struggles, as this could be seen as a sign of weakness. Ta.
SFSU’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) program offers a variety of mental health resources and services, including individual counseling, crisis intervention, and case management on and off campus.
CAPS introduced a new service this semester called “Let’s Talk,” which is an informal meeting between students and counselors, according to director Steven Chen. Rudy Deasis, CAPS Associate Director, added that CAPS also offers group services to assist with administration. Anxiety, mood swings, depression.
Mr Chen said anxiety, stress and depression are the mental health issues most faced by students. “Let’s Talk” focuses on helping students access services and connecting them with other mental health services on and off campus as needed.
“Along with the stress, there’s also the adjustment of being a first year college student, like adjusting to life on campus and getting into college and what that entails,” Deasis said. “Stress with roommates, stress on making friends, stress on schoolwork. I think of stress as something very comprehensive and complex.”
Deasis said a contributing factor to college students’ loneliness is fear of the unknown. Young people are taking responsibility for themselves for the first time in their lives, but living far away from home may take them some time to understand. Both directors said that loneliness doesn’t mean you don’t have friends or don’t have many people around you.
Chen said the academic stress young college students face also contributes to feelings of loneliness, as midterms and finals week are when they meet the most people of the semester.
“You have to adjust your support system and leave and go into a completely new environment and, in a sense, rebuild that support system,” Deasis said. “Having to find the right fit is a huge issue that affects students.”
About 66 percent of CAPS enrollees identify as female, while students who identify as male make up about 33 percent of the demographic, Chen said. Deasis added that these numbers reflect the stigma between men and mental health around self-expression, communication and seeking help.
“we [men] We were not raised to identify and express our emotions. It all depends on whether you keep it inside or hide it,” Deasis said. “That stigma persists to this day and is a major contributing factor in preventing men from accessing services.”
CAPS is open to all students who require counseling and psychological services at SFSU. It is located in his room 205 in the Student Services Building and is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Students can call (415) 338-2208 or email us. [email protected] To schedule an appointment or seek assistance.
