America’s boys and men are falling behind…mentoring can help

By Jean Rhodes

An excellent new article in the Wall Street Journal by Rachel Wolfe has drawn new attention to the struggles of boys and young men in the U.S. As Wolfe notes, in homes across America, a troubling trend is emerging. While data for young women are gradually improving, many of their male counterparts are struggling to find their footing. This disparity is reshaping the landscape of American youth and raising concerns about the future of an entire generation. It also has implications for mentoring programs.

The Diverging Paths of Young Men and Women

Recent data paints a stark picture of this gender gap. According to studies cited in the article, as of August 2024, 89% of men aged 25-34 were in the labor force, representing over 700,000 fewer men than if participation rates had remained at 2004 levels. In contrast, women’s participation in the same age group has surged by 6 percentage points in just a decade, reaching 79%. The disparity extends beyond employment, with 20% of men in this age range still living with their parents in 2023, compared to only 12% of women.

The Roots of the Crisis

Globalization, which has led to the decline of traditionally male-dominated industries (e.g. in the auto and construction industries) and left many young men feeling adrift. Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, observes, “The sense a lot of young men have is not being sure that they are needed or that they are going to be needed by their families, by their communities, by society.”

Social isolation has also become a significant concern. Young men aged 18-30 spent nearly 20% more time alone in 2023 compared to 2019, while averaging just 6.6 non-sleeping hours daily. This isolation has profound implications for mental health and social development.

The challenges facing young men are further underscored by the alarming rise in “deaths of despair” – deaths due to suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol-related liver disease. These deaths have disproportionately affected men, particularly those without a college degree (see Case & Deaton, 2022; Mackenbach et al., 2016; 2018). The opioid crisis has played a significant role in this trend. In 2016, the apparent opioid-related death rate in Canada was highest among males aged 30-39 years (Belzak & Halverson, 2018). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2020), “Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2013), and illicit drug use is more likely to result in emergency department visits or overdose deaths for men than for women.”

Recent research adds depth to this crisis. In her wonderful new book “Rebels with a Cause,” NYU psychologist Niobe Way argues that societal expectations of masculinity often leave young men emotionally isolated. Way posits, “The crisis we are facing is not a crisis of boys but a crisis of society’s ideas about masculinity” (Way, 2024, p. 45). This emotional disconnection contributes to the struggles many young men face in navigating adulthood.

Part of the answer then, is to foster connection, and mentoring programs (e.g., 100 Black Men) are especially well positioned to do so. Research underscores the importance of social support and mentoring in young men’s emotional development (e.g., Sharp et al., 2023).

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Caring relationships can be leveraged in ways that help boys and young men.

1.  Training: Programs could  focus on developing emotional literacy and communication skills in young men. Likewise, programs should emphasize practical skills for independent living. Mentors who are trained in relationship building, listening, and are not afraid to ask what Niobe calls “thick questions,” can reap the rewards of closer ties with boys and young men.

2. Career Exploration: Mentoring initiatives should expose young men to diverse career paths, including emerging fields that may not fit traditional masculine stereotypes. Evidence-based trainings that provide young men with the skills and opportunities to network can be helpful in this regard.

3. Mental Health Support: Incorporating mental health awareness and coping strategies into mentoring programs is crucial. Single-session interventions that teach strategies for managing anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc have an important role to play.

4. Peer Support Networks: Facilitating peer-to-peer connections can help combat social isolation. Mentoring platforms like MentorPRO can help programs manage such connection, drive engagement, and simplify reporting of positive outcomes.

As we confront this crisis, it’s clear that supporting boys and young men isn’t just about individual success—it’s about nurturing a generation of engaged, purposeful citizens who can contribute fully to society. The path forward requires a concerted effort from families, educators, policymakers, and communities to redefine masculinity and provide the support young men need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

References:

Belzak, L., & Halverson, J. (2018). Evidence synthesis – The opioid crisis in Canada: a national perspective. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada, 38, 224–233. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.38.6.02

Case, A., Deaton, A. (2022). The Great Divide: Education, Despair, and Death. Annual Review of Economics 14, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-051520-015607

Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (2017). Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DetTabs-2016/NSDUH-DetTabs-2016.pdf.

Mackenbach J. P., Kulhánova I., Artnik B, Bopp M., Borrell C., et al. (2016). Changes in mortality inequalities over two decades: register based study of European countries. BMJ, 353.

Mackenbach J. P., Valverde J. R., Artnik B., Bopp M., Brønnum-Hansen H., et al. 2018. Trends in health inequalities in 27 European countries. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci, 115(25), 6440–5.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (2020).

Sharp, P., Oliffe, J. L., Kealy, D., Rice, S. M., Seidler, Z. E., Ogrodniczuk, J.S. (2023). Social support buffers young men’s resilient coping to psychological distress. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 17, 784–791. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.13371

Way, N. (2024). Rebels with a cause: Reimagining boys, ourselves, and our culture. Harvard University Press.

Wolfe, R. (2024, September 28). America’s young men are falling even further behind. The Wall Street Journal.