On July 30, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to address “the alarming rise in suicides and disconnection among California’s young men and boys.” The order directs a coordinated statewide response to improve mental health outcomes, reduce stigma and expand access to meaningful education, work and mentorship opportunities for boys.
“Too many young men and boys are suffering in silence — disconnected from community, opportunity and even their own families,” Newsom said in a statement. “This action is about turning that around. It’s about showing every young man that he matters and there’s a path for him of purpose, dignity, work and real connection.”
The executive order directs state agencies to create a new focus on this issue as well as new pathways to help reconnect men and boys with the support, assistance and help they need.
Mental health
Depression is ranked as a leading cause of death among men, who are less likely to seek mental health treatment than women. “Lack of mental health support and gender stereotypes have perpetuated a culture where men and boys feel unable to ask for assistance or support, leading to higher rates of disconnection, suicide, drug use, crime, and lack of participation in the workforce,” according to the Governor’s press release. In California, men aged 15-44 die by suicide at three to four times the rate of women, often by firearms.
The executive order directs the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) to develop recommendations to address the suicide crisis among young men. The Governor is also ordering CalHHS, with support from the Center for Data Insights and Innovation, to examine existing data on gender disparities to identify any gaps in service delivery and assess potential changes to address disparities.
Feeding into the mental health issues of young men and boys is disconnection from school, work and relationships. “Nearly one in four men under 30 years old reporting that they have no close friends, a five-fold increase since 1990, with higher rates of disconnection for young Black males. A lack of social connection is associated with increased risk of poor health, including mental health disorders, poverty and even premature death,” the press release states.
One way this disconnection is being illustrated is through the lack of participation in the workforce among men without a college degree, which is currently at historic lows, with about one in nine men aged 25-54 neither working nor looking for work.
State initiatives
The Governor is directing the Office of Service and Community Engagement, in consultation with the Office of the First Partner and the Executive Director of the State Board of Education, to identify opportunities for promoting and enhancing the participation of men and boys in service opportunities through California Volunteers and improving work and engagement opportunities through California Jobs First, the Master Plan for Career Education, the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, and the California Community Schools Partnership Program.
“Women and men face different challenges — but there are systemic barriers we can take on together,” First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said in a statement. “Whether it’s the shortage of male mental health providers, outdated ideas about care work, or boys falling through the cracks in school, this executive order is a step toward real solutions. Our young men and boys are facing a crisis of loneliness and social isolation that is showing up in their mental health, educational outcomes, future economic opportunities and more. Raising healthy boys will take all of us — moms, dads, teachers, coaches and mentors — working together to find new ways forward.”
