Why Many Men Struggle with Mental Health in Silence, According to a Urologist

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has been a recurrent thread many experts have noticed: men are struggling with urological problems while also battling unseen mental health challenges. It’s a connection that doesn’t always make headlines, but it deserves attention. “I often treat men for physiological issues such as urinary incontinence or sexual dysfunction,” Dr Mangesh Patil, Urologist at Saifee Hospital, told Times Now. Here are five key factors that make men particularly vulnerable to silent mental health struggles.

Societal expectations and masculinity

According to Dr Patil, men feel a deep societal pressure to “be strong,” hide vulnerability, and always take care of others. “As a result, when they experience issues like erectile dysfunction or infertility, they may feel ashamed or emasculated rather than seek help. This internalised stigma saves face externally—but eats away at them internally, often intensifying feelings of loneliness, anxiety, or depression,” he said.

Physical health burden is driving psychological stress

Urological conditions like chronic prostatitis, urinary tract infections, or benign prostate hyperplasia don’t just affect the body; they sap energy, impair sleep, and interfere with intimacy. Over time, these persistent physical symptoms lead to frustration, shame, and anxiety about performance or health. Many men don’t even realise that their mental exhaustion is rooted in their physical illness.

Lack of open dialogue with doctors

While men may visit urologists regularly, they may not voice emotional distress. In a clinical appointment, they focus first on the “hard facts”—pee flow, pain, erections, rather than their sadness, shame, or fear. “Often, urologists are not the first biopsychosocial professionals men would think to open up to. As a result, mental health needs remain underdiagnosed,” said Dr Patil.

Performance anxiety and self‐esteem issues

Sexual health issues, whether ED or infertility, strike at the heart of self-esteem. A man who struggles sexually can feel personally “less than,” leading to ongoing anxiety about performance, rejection, or failure. That anxiety, of course, worsens the very condition he fears and keeps him from seeking emotional support.

Social isolation

Unlike women, who may more readily talk about their emotions with friends or family, men often lack safe spaces to discuss mental health. Many men feel their problems have to stay private, so they don’t share them with friends or loved ones. That isolation reinforces a vicious cycle of silence and deteriorating mental health.

What can be done?

According to Dr Pail, a few things that can be done to rectify men’s issues include: Urologists and other clinicians must proactively screen for depression, anxiety, and quality-of-life issues during consultations, not just check physical symptoms. “We need to normalise conversations around mental health for men and dismantle the stigma that equates emotional vulnerability with weakness,” he said. Men should also feel empowered to reach out to healthcare professionals, mental health experts, support groups, or trusted friends about emotional as well as physical struggles.