• American men report decent mental and physical health, general satisfaction with work, and a sense of purpose and fulfillment from engaging with a faith community and in family life.
• Patterns in the data indicate a consistent and sizable minority of men seriously struggle in key domains of life, warranting further research and attention from policymakers and community leaders.

Introduction

As American families celebrate Father’s Day each June, the usual cultural flourishes often dominate our collective attention: barbecues, gifts, kind words from loved ones, and, of course, sales on grills, tools, and the like. But amidst this appreciation for fathers and their contributions to society, it is easy to overlook an important question: How are American men actually doing?

With rising attention to some of the broad societal challenges affecting men and boys, this question is worth asking as our nation celebrates the role of fathers.

To that end, Sutherland Institute partnered with Y2 Analytics to survey men in Utah and nationally, aiming to better understand their experiences and perspectives across the domains of health, vocation, and purpose. This report provides a brief profile of preliminary data that is encouraging – but also highlights some concerning trends that warrant further attention. Additional data and analysis will be forthcoming soon.

On average, American men report decent mental and physical health, general satisfaction with work, and a sense of purpose and fulfillment from engaging with a faith community and in family life. Most express general satisfaction or happiness with life as a whole.

However, a dive beneath the surface reveals undercurrents that could point to problems often overlooked. Patterns in the data indicate a consistent and sizable minority of men seriously struggle in key domains of life, warranting further research and attention from policymakers and community leaders.

What did we learn?

The Sutherland/Y2 Analytics survey of American men focused on three broad domains of life: health, vocation, and purpose.

The health segment inquired about both mental and physical health, as well as behaviors generally considered supportive of strong mental and physical well-being. Vocation questions detailed respondents’ experiences and views about their current work situation, while also capturing educational attainment. The focus on purpose encompassed faith engagement, family life, general feelings of meaning in life, and the presence of positive male role models during adolescence and adulthood.

The highlighted data below show that, fortunately, majorities generally report favorable ratings across many of these categories.

On a scale from 0 to 100 (with zero being very bad and 100 being very good), the average ratings for physical health were 72.55 and for mental health were 74.63, indicating that men, on average, report good mental and physical health.

Most men are working and primarily report general satisfaction with their work situation.

A significant number of respondents report that family and faith are major contributors to an overall positive sense of purpose in life.

In short: A majority of men are doing ok, and respond favorably when asked about their health, work, and purpose in life.

However, when reviewing these same data points – and others from our survey – a trend emerges, showing what could be called a “silent, struggling subset” of men who do not share their counterparts’ positive experiences and outlook.

Survey data uncovers a sizable minority of men who struggle

Reconsidering the data visualizations above through this lens, these facts stand out:

• 18% of American men are dissatisfied with their current work situation
• 15% do not see family life as a source of purpose and fulfillment
• 24% do not view engagement with a faith community as a source of purpose and fulfillment

Further, there is a theme of vocational unhappiness among this consistent and sizable subset. Close to roughly one in six American men do not view their work as a meaningful (17%) or purposeful (15%) part of life.

There are also broader indicators that show concerning trends among our respondents.

Thirteen percent reported they were not satisfied “with life as a whole these days,” 12% said they usually feel somewhat unhappy or very unhappy, and a concerning 16% said that the things they do in life are not very or not at all worthwhile.

All of these indicators converge in two striking data points that capture a general sense of struggling that this subset may be experiencing.

Sixteen percent of American men disagreed with the statement “I understand my purpose in life.” Another 15% disagreed with the notion that “I am truly needed in society today or have something valuable to offer.”

The data becomes starker when we ask respondents explicit questions about struggles across the domains covered in the survey.

A whopping 36% of American men say they are “struggling to understand my place in my community or in broader society.”

Thirty-one percent said they “don’t have anyone close to me with whom I can speak about difficult things I am dealing with.”

When asked about mental health specifically, almost one-third confirmed the lack of a close confidant, with 30% reporting not having anyone they can talk to about their own mental health.

There is some indication that stigma – both external and internal – may play a role for this subset of respondents, in their reticence toward discussing mental health or related challenges.

More than one in five (22%) believe that “Acknowledging and discussing mental health challenges with a professional is a sign of weakness.”

Interestingly, this stigma actually increases when respondents were asked about discussing such issues with a spouse, partner, family member, or close friend, with 29% viewing it as a sign of weakness.

Takeaways for policymakers and community leaders

The key message that readers of this report should take away from this analysis is that it is wholly insufficient to review this data and conclude that men, at large, are doing fine and thus no policy, social, or cultural interventions are needed to improve their prospects.

It is true that large swaths of American men say they are in good physical and mental health, derive significant fulfillment from work, family life, and participation in a faith community, and feel a connection to their broader community that offers a sense of purpose.

However, a significant subset of American men grapple with serious challenges regarding mental and physical health, vocational prospects, family life, engagement with faith, and finding meaning and purpose in life.

On any given metric, up to one-third of American men struggle in the domains identified in this survey. As such, policy and community leaders in Utah and across the nation should take seriously the call to further understand and address these components of modern life for men nationwide.

Conclusion

In June each year, families across the country celebrate the critical contributions of fathers. June also marks the annual recognition of Men’s Health Month, with a particular focus on mental health.

With these annual reminders – coupled with the data laid out in this report – those who wish for all Americans to lead flourishing lives must better understand the up to one-third of men who are in some significant way struggling. Sutherland’s work in this area will continue, with a focus on examining the policy and societal factors that contribute to these struggles as we begin to build the case for principled, pragmatic, and effective solutions.