‘It Puts You at Odds With Society’: Masculinity and Men’s Experiences of Mental Illness Stigma

The profound consequences of experiencing mental illness stigma are widely acknowledged. However, the gendered nature of stigma among men living with mood and anxiety disorders remains poorly understood. Despite dying by suicide at more than twice the rate of women, men are significantly less likely to be diagnosed and treated for depression and anxiety, a disparity often attributed to stigma. Drawing on concepts of structural, social, and self-stigma alongside a masculinities framework, this study explored how mental illness stigma is experienced and negotiated by 21 men living with depression and anxiety disorders. In-depth interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, generating three interconnected themes: (a) Fearing discrimination; (b) Suffering the subtleties of stigma; and (c) Carrying an invisible burden. Together, the findings demonstrate how stigma operates through gendered norms associated with hegemonic masculinity across structural, social, and individual levels, demanding men's constant vigilance over when to conceal or reveal their stigmatised identities. The findings underscore the need for gender-responsive de-stigmatising strategies that address not only individual attitudes to mental illness but also the social and structural conditions through which stigma and masculinities are mutually reinforced.