Breaking the Silence: What Men Really Say About Mental Health at Work

This article is based on the research study “Beyond Workers’ Compensation: Men’s Mental Health In and Out of Work” by John L. Oliffe, PhD, RN and Christina S. E. Han, MA, originally published in the American Journal of Men’s Health.

Despite increasing awareness of workplace wellness, the mental health of men in male-dominated industries remains a blind spot. While safety gear is standard and physical injuries are tracked and compensated, psychological distress continues to fly under the radar, often silenced by cultural norms and systemic gaps.

In their compelling study, Oliffe and Han bring forward raw, honest voices from the field. Their work explores how men navigate mental health in environments where stoicism is expected and struggle is often kept private.

Why This Study Matters

The research was born from a simple but urgent question: What do men themselves say about mental health at work, and what’s missing in the current system?

Through a focused ethnographic approach, the authors conducted:

1. 10 focus groups and 14 individual interviews
2. Participants across construction, oil and gas, transportation, and other male-dominated sectors
3. Perspectives from both managers and frontline workers

This qualitative approach allowed them to uncover deeply personal and nuanced experiences, far beyond what surveys and compensation claims could reveal.

Key Insights From the Study

Here are some powerful takeaways from the conversations they had:

1. The stigma is real: Men often stay silent for fear of being seen as weak or unreliable.
2. The compensation system doesn’t fit: Many felt it only acknowledged physical injuries, not emotional pain or chronic stress.
3. Masculine norms discourage vulnerability: Workplace language like “man up” or “tough it out” reinforced emotional isolation.
4. Trust and peer connection are critical: Men expressed a need for safe, peer-driven spaces to speak freely and support one another.

What Needs to Change?

The authors argue for a shift in how we support men’s mental health at work, beyond narrow systems of compensation. They advocate for:

1. Normalizing mental health conversations, starting with leadership
2. Creating programs tailored to masculine work cultures without dismissing emotional needs
3. Investing in peer-based support models
4. Equipping supervisors with basic mental health training to respond to team members in need

“Mental health support has to go beyond a claim form—it needs to feel human,” the researchers suggest.

In Summary: What This Research Teaches Us

1. Workplace mental health isn’t just about policy, it’s about culture.
2. Men want to talk, but they need safe, stigma-free environments to do so.
3. Systems designed without empathy will always fall short.

This study doesn’t just spotlight a problem. It challenges us to build workplaces that listen, adapt, and support the people within them, before they reach a breaking point.