Shadows in the minds of men

These South African authors confront truths about manhood and mental illness

- Rolland Simpi-Motaung

In one session with my therapist, he said mental health challenges are not a gender issue nor should they be limited to a month or day. With that said, commemorative days or months do a great job in giving society pause to reflect on a specific issue.

Apart from putting a spotlight on men’s health in general, the month of June makes us think about men and boys’ mental health and wellness. Research shows men are less likely to ask for help regarding their mental health than women.

Due to factors such as stigma, masculinity norms and lack of knowledge, men tend to suppress emotions leading to disruptive outcomes like violence and suicide.

For instance, the World Health Organisation 2021 report on suicide worldwide noted that South African men are least four times more likely to take their own lives than women.

The organisation defines good mental health as an individual's ability to cope with normal life stresses; learn and work productively; use their talents and contribute to their community.

Many friends and loved ones feel helpless when it comes to how to support troubled men and boys who are silently drowning in the darkness of their minds and souls.

Through fictional characters and nonfictional literature, we can get different perspectives on how our fathers, brothers, sons and other men in society manage mental health issues. Here are some books by South African authors which shed light on this topic.

Men and Mental Health: Shattering the silence

by Marion Scher

Award-winning journalist and author Marion Scher has been writing about mental health for the past 30 years.

For this book, she spoke to South African sporting legends, top entertainers and heads of corporations, including Swys de Bruin, Chad le Clos, Eugene Khosa, David Kramer and Robbi Kempson.