Something I've noticed, as a man with an interest in overall health (and a particular interest in mental health), is that often times in mental health circles male emotions and emotional needs are treated as being very similar to female emotions. This is despite the fact that they often manifest themselves in different ways, and for different reasons.

For example, depression in women will often manifest with spontaneous episodes of sadness or sorrow, sometimes with crying, while for men apathy or irritability are more likely to manifest. A predominance of focus (or maybe just colloquial interpretation of the term "depression") on the "sad" part of depression, more common in females - combined with a lack of resources and other factors - may well be a major reason why men are less likely to identify with depression, and thus less likely to be diagnosed.

Something I hear over and over told to men with emotional needs is that we need to "express our emotions more", "talk to people", etc. None of this is bad advice, but it is more catered to the emotional needs of women than men. Men may handle their emotions very differently than women, yet some of this (if not most of it) is labeled as "unhealthy" by people who claim to be experts in mental health. Now, bottling up your emotions or exploding in anger are not healthy ways to handle your emotions, but there are plenty of ways to vent your emotions that are not encouraged by many mental health professionals. Exercise, sparring (with proper safety equipment, of course), useful work, and many other things are all healthy ways for men to vent or express their emotions, but which are not encouraged (or, in some cases, actively discouraged). Now, there are plenty more things that I can't think of or don't know about, particularly because I'm not a stereotypical guy and tend to express my emotions more verbally (as I think verbally) or musically, and both of these things are accepted methods in psychology.

What do y'all think? What are some changes that need to be made in the mental health profession to help with men's issues?