You wouldn鈥檛 know it from looking, but men across Greater Victoria, and Canada, are struggling.
That's why June, recognized as Men's Mental Health Month, offers an important opportunity to raise awareness and share information about just how staggering those numbers are.
For Richard Sayad, director of clinical services at South Island Counselling, the issue isn鈥檛 just the lack of resources for men鈥檚 mental health 鈥� it鈥檚 the lack of conversation
That silence, he says, is rooted in something deeper: traditional masculinity.
鈥淚 think there are still messages out there about what it means to be a man,鈥� Sayad said. 鈥淧eople have trouble reconciling some of those ideas with needing to show vulnerability, or needing to reach out and speak about their depression.鈥�
The messaging that men should 鈥渉old it in鈥� and 鈥渢ough it out鈥� is decades old 鈥� and it鈥檚 still winning.
For years, men have made up only about 30 per cent of South Island Counselling鈥檚 clients 鈥� a number that hasn鈥檛 budged despite greater public awareness around mental health.
National data paints a stark picture.
According to the Government of Canada men accounted for nearly 75 per cent of all suicide deaths in 2022.
Middle-aged men 鈥� those between 30 and 59 鈥� represented more than half of those cases. In 2019, 1.66 million Canadian men reported seriously contemplating suicide at some point in their lives.
A 2025 national survey conducted by the Canadian Men鈥檚 Health Foundation (CMHF) found that 64 per cent of men were experiencing moderate to high levels of stress 鈥� up four per cent from the previous year.
About one in four were at risk of moderate to severe depression, and half said they were at risk of social isolation. Despite those numbers, 67 per cent of men said they had never reached out for professional mental health support.
"Men's mental health is declining at an alarming rate, and too many, especially younger men, are facing these struggles on their own," Kenton Boston, president & CEO of CMHF, said. "We want men to know they aren't alone, that the CMHF is here for them and has tools to support them."
Sayad isn鈥檛 surprised at the numbers. Most men, he said, don鈥檛 feel comfortable sitting down and opening up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about stigma 鈥� it鈥檚 about how men relate differently. Generally, men are less likely to just talk to people about their problems," he said.
The can be subtle.
Sayad points to what he calls a 鈥渜uiet withdrawal鈥� as the most common clue that something鈥檚 wrong. But knowing what to say 鈥� or how to encourage a man to open up 鈥� isn鈥檛 always easy. Sometimes, just making it clear that it鈥檚 okay to talk can make all the difference.
That鈥檚 the idea behind a new grassroots initiative being launched in Victoria by mental health advocate Carrie Parsons.
t is, on the surface, a hat with a tree symbol. But the meaning behind it runs much deeper.
Parsons, founder of the West Coast Speaks Health Society, designed the project as a low-barrier entry point for men who may not be ready for therapy, but still need to feel supported.
The project鈥檚 message isn鈥檛 aimed at the man wearing the hat 鈥� it鈥檚 for those around him.
鈥淭he hat messaging isn鈥檛 to support the man wearing it 鈥� it鈥檚 to support the men surrounding him,鈥� Parsons said. The hat serves as a visual cue that the person wearing it is open to connection and talking about mental health.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the beauty of the hat 鈥� no words need to be exchanged for the interaction to be meaningful. A life could be saved in complete silence.鈥�
Each purchase of a Sitka Project hat follows a buy-one-give-one model. One goes to the buyer, and the other is given away, creating a quiet, visible network of support.
The first batch is being produced locally at Rain Coast Print Shop, with the hopes that the hats will help ignite a broader conversation.
鈥淭his was created not by doctors or clinicians, but as a direct response to the lack of entry-level resources,鈥� Parsons said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a tool, not a solution 鈥� but it鈥檚 a place to start.鈥�
Sayad agrees that non-traditional approaches might be the key. In his experience, support groups and therapy sessions tend to attract more women than men. A group built around an activity 鈥� hiking, sports, shared projects 鈥� might feel more accessible and less intimidating.
鈥淚f you started a men鈥檚 support group, you probably wouldn鈥檛 get a lot of attendance,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut if it was built around something they enjoy doing, that鈥檚 a different story.鈥�
While some progress is being made, Sayad is clear-eyed about the work that remains. Loneliness among men, especially those aged 25 to 35, is a growing issue. And although more older men are starting to seek therapy 鈥� a good sign, he says 鈥� the numbers are still far too low.
鈥淐onnection is foundational to being human,鈥� Sayad said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e feeling a lack of connection in the world, it鈥檚 OK to seek it. And it鈥檚 OK to be vulnerable. It usually rarely makes anyone feel worse after having a therapy session.鈥�
For men in Greater Victoria, one such option is the Men鈥檚 Therapy Centre, which offers specialized counselling services tailored to men. It鈥檚 one of the few male-focused resources in the region.
are available for men to access.
But broader cultural change is needed.
The hope for both Sayad and Parsons is that community-based, grassroots efforts like the Sitka Project can help bridge the gap, offering quiet signs of solidarity until louder conversations are ready to be had.
Because, as the data makes clear, silence is no longer an option.
