The Silent Burden

How Toxic Masculinity Creates Psychological Distress and Prevents Help-Seeking Among Ghanaian Men

Abstract

Background: Ghanaian men endure notable forms of psychological distress owing to cultural expectations of masculinity that bridle pathways to assistance. With increasing cases of mental health issues such as depression and suicidal ideation, these men remain conspicuously underrepresented in clinical settings. This study explores the effects of toxic masculinity norms on emotional and psychological distress phenomena among Ghanaian men and simultaneously the refusal to seek professional help. Methods: The study used a mixed-method approach with three components: first, a quantitative survey with 400 Ghanaian men aged 18 – 60 from urban and rural settings assessing help-seeking attitudes using the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale, psychological distress measuring with the Kessler-10 scale, and masculinity beliefs through the Male Role Norms Inventory. Second, qualitative data was gathered through 30 in-depth interviews with psychologically distressed men about help-seeking barriers. Third, five focus group discussions were held with community leaders and men in mental health professions to remove gaps in the context. Results: An overwhelming 78% of respondents strongly agreed with the statement “men should handle problems alone,” which was associated with a greater degree of psychological distress. Moreover, only 12% of participants had ever sought professional psychological help, predominantly due to fears of being perceived as weak and a lack of mental health services tailored to men. Three broad themes emerged from qualitative analysis: the emotional suffering was framed as a reality to be endured by a “real man,” social isolation and alcohol use as harmful coping mechanisms, and the use of faith in religion or spirituality as less socially-concerning and more acceptable forms of coping as opposed to professional help. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the prevailing toxic masculinity norms within the Ghanaian context tend to worsen the psychological distress faced by individuals because help-seeking becomes extremely difficult. The research highlights the importance of addressing the gap using culture-appropriate strategies like community-focused male mental health programs and educative campaigns that promote help-seeking as a strength instead of a weakness. These actions may alleviate the psychological suffering understated yet silently carried by numerous Ghanaian men.