Nonprofit to share new insights today at a bipartisan congressional briefing alongside Senators Alex Padilla and Thom Tillis
WASHINGTON DC, CA, UNITED STATES, May 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Crisis Text Line, a global nonprofit that provides free, 24/7, confidential mental health support in English and Spanish, today released “Exploring Mental Health Trends Among Boys and Men,” its first dedicated report on the mental health of boys and men in the United States.
Boys and men are battling a devastating mental health crisis: around 100 men die by suicide every day, at a rate nearly four times that of women, a toll that outpaces other wealthy nations. Despite this, boys and men are significantly less likely to seek help.
“Young men are experiencing alarming levels of suicide and loneliness, with high school boys expressing growing doubt about their futures,” said Tracy Costigan, Ph.D., VP, Impact Evaluation & Storytelling at Crisis Text Line. “Despite this, they remain significantly less likely to seek support, representing fewer than 1 in 5 people who reached out to Crisis Text Line.”
Drawing on more than 71,000 anonymized crisis conversations from 2022 to 2024, this report provides a real-world look at what boys and men are experiencing when they reach out for support and the coping strategies that are helping them navigate emotional distress.
The report findings will be presented by Crisis Text Line this morning at 9:30 a.m. EDT during a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill, focusing on boys & men mental health research, in conjunction with the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus and its co-founders, Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), and co-hosted with Movember.
“Exploring Mental Health Trends Among Boys and Men” Report, key highlights include:
1. Anxiety and stress lead. They appeared in 39% of conversations with boys and men and in over 40% of conversations with adult men.
2. Loneliness increases with age. Relationship challenges dominate early on, while isolation grows more pronounced over time.
3. Young boys face the highest risk. Nearly 1 in 3 boys under 14 discussed suicidal thoughts, and 1 in 6 reported self-harm.
4. Connection and exercise help. Opportunities for social connection and physical activity consistently emerged as key resources to help boys and men cope.
“As co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, I’m proud to partner with Senator Padilla and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address the challenges highlighted in this report,” said Senator Tillis. “We must do more to identify and support men facing rising levels of stress, isolation, and mental health challenges, by expanding access to care and strengthening opportunities for connection. Advancing practical, community-based solutions that meet men where they are will be critical to raising awareness and saving lives.”
Costigan, one of the authors of the report, will present the findings at the Congressional Briefing alongside Chris Thomas, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Defensive Line (moderator), Jon Coyles, Senior Vice President of Drug, Health and Safety Programs at Major League Baseball; Brian Heilman, Global Lead, Masculinities Research, Movember Institute of Men’s Health, and Carson Domey, Executive Director of the Coalition for Student Wellbeing.
“No one should struggle with mental health issues alone,” said Senator Padilla. “As co-chair of the Senate Mental Health Caucus, I am proud to work across the aisle with my colleagues to cultivate an environment where seeking help is considered a strength, not a weakness. We must do more to address the mental health crisis in America, especially among boys and men. By encouraging open conversations, expanding and funding access to support, and raising awareness, we can help save lives.”
According to this report, externally-oriented relational stressors that were more typical among boys included relationship stress and bullying. Relationship stress went from 34% among the youngest boys to 22% among the oldest. Bullying decreased by nearly five times: from over 10% in conversations with young men under 14 to less than 2% among older age groups.
“For every boy or man who reached out to Crisis Text Line, many more didn’t,” said Heilman. “The key to closing that gap is to make help-seeking feel naturally embedded in daily life – in a text conversation, in a check-in from a friend, in a teacher who asks the right question – not as something that requires men to see themselves as broken or failing first.”
The full report is available here. To support these findings by attending the Congressional Briefing, May 12, 2026, click here to RSVP.
About Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is a global mental health organization dedicated to supporting people in their most difficult moments. The nonprofit focuses on both crisis intervention and prevention, providing free, 24/7, confidential support in English and Spanish through a text-based platform that meets people where they are. We pair human connection with scalable technology, research, and partnerships to strengthen mental health systems and drive lasting change. Since its launch in 2013, Crisis Text Line has supported over 12 million conversations in the United States and more than 17 million globally together with our affiliates in Canada, the UK and Ireland. Crisis Text Line’s 125,000 trained volunteer Crisis Counselors bring texters from a hot moment to a cool calm by empowering each texter to use their own strengths and coping strategies. In 2025, Crisis Text Line expanded its global reach by joining forces with Aquí Estoy, a nonprofit organization serving people in need across 20 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, Spain, and the Caribbean.To be connected to a live, trained, nonjudgmental volunteer Crisis Counselor, text HELLO to 741741 or 443-SUPPORT in WhatsApp or text HOLA to 741741 or 442-AYUDAME in WhatsApp for Spanish or connect with us via web chat. Visit Crisis Text Line on Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook. Additional information, including how to become a volunteer or how to support Crisis Text Line through donations or partnerships, is available at www.crisistextline.org.
About Movember
Since 2003, Movember, the trailblazing mustachioed charity, has shaken up men’s health research and transformed the way that health services reach and support men, taking on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention, with unwavering determination. Our passionate community of global Mo’s have raised over $1 billion for men’s health, funding more than 1,300 projects worldwide. This includes some of the largest global prostate cancer registries, driven by the real-life experiences of hundreds of thousands of men. Since expanding into mental health and suicide prevention in 2006, Movember has highlighted the need for stronger social connections, early recognition of mental health issues, and better support for men in distress. Our goal is to ensure that more men know what to do when mental health issues appear and that their supporters are better prepared to step in when needed. Movember is committed to driving innovative research, cutting-edge treatments, and healthy behaviors while championing inclusive, gender-responsive healthcare tailored to diverse needs. Movember’s vision is to break down health barriers, eliminate stigma, and ensure everyone has an equal chance at a long, healthy life. By advancing men’s health, we aim to create a ripple effect that positively impacts women, families, and society as a whole. To learn more, please visit Movember.com.
Vanessa Showalter
Crisis Text Line
+1 949-748-0542
email us here
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