Survey: 78% of employed men hide mental health struggles at work

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Resume and career site LiveCareer has published its Men's Mental Health Check-In Report, based on a survey of 700 employed men in the United States. According to the report, 78% of respondents have hidden stress, burnout or mental health struggles at work in order to appear strong or professional: 24% said they do so constantly and 54% occasionally.

The survey also found that 84% of the men believe men are expected to "tough it out" and avoid showing mental health struggles at work. Only 15% said they would feel comfortable seeking support.

Managers rarely check in

More than half of respondents (52%) said their manager had not checked in on their stress or mental wellbeing even once during the past year. Another 28% said this had happened a few times, 10% said once and 10% said frequently. The report describes a manager's check-in as a way to open a conversation that an employee might find hard to start.

The findings also connect mental health with staff turnover. Nearly two-thirds of the men (65%) have either considered leaving or actually left a job because it was harming their mental health: 36% considered leaving but stayed, while 29% left.

Asked what stops them from raising a mental health concern or asking for help at work, respondents most often cited a wish to handle the problem on their own (35%), fear of judgment or stigma (34%), fear that speaking up could hurt their career (32%), privacy or confidentiality concerns (30%) and a lack of trust in their manager (20%).

Changes men say would help

When asked which workplace changes would most improve their mental health, 33% of the men chose more flexible work arrangements, 31% more manageable workloads, 28% additional paid time off for mental health and 20% affordable, confidential mental health services. The report states that men also need to be able to ask for help and use available services without putting their professional reputation, privacy or career prospects at risk.

According to the methodology, the survey was conducted through Pollfish on September 15, 2026. Respondents were US residents in employment at the time of the survey, spread across age groups: 23% Gen Z, 28% millennials, 25% Gen X and 24% baby boomers.

Source: Men’s Mental Health at Work: 78% Hide Their Struggles