Social gender and mental health

(...)According to Stakelum and Boland (2001), the male sex role stereotype demands that men be healthy, strong and self-sufficient. Often in an attempt to maintain a self-image consistent with society’s expectations to be manly, men become more reluctant, not just to admit, but often recognise, their physical and mental health needs. Furthermore, men who have traditional attitudes towards masculinity are often inclined to suppress their emotions, which may partly
explain the lower rate of mental health problems reported among males. However,suppressing emotions is only a short-term solution, and eventually such emotions will surface in some way or another. A common reaction among men when this happens is to act out their emotions by engaging in fast driving, hard drinking and other risk-taking behaviours.