Resources by Topic

Body image concerns and eating disorders in adolescent and young adult males are significant but often underrecognized. Symptoms may center on muscularity, compulsive exercise, restrictive eating, or supplement and steroid use rather than a drive for thinness. Greater awareness of these male-specific patterns can support earlier identification and treatment..

Resources

• Fast Facts: Body Image and Eating Disorders
  This brief summarizes body image concerns and eating disorders affecting adolescent and young adult males, including muscle dysmorphia and unhealthy weight-control behaviors. It highlights warning signs, risk patterns, and the need for greater awareness, early identification, and care.

  PMY National Symposia: Body Image and Eating Disorders
  This symposium brought together experts to examine body image and eating disorders among adolescent and young adult males. The discussion explores how these conditions present differently in males and why recognition, prevention, and treatment should reflect those differences.

Mental health challenges in adolescent and young adult males can be easy to miss because symptoms may appear as irritability, risk-taking, substance use, or withdrawal rather than sadness. Young males also face elevated risks related to ADHD and suicide, while social expectations can discourage help-seeking and emotional connection. Earlier recognition and supportive relationships are critical.

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• Fast Facts: Mental Health
  This brief highlights mental health issues that disproportionately affect adolescent and young adult males, including ADHD, depression, suicide, and barriers to help-seeking. It offers concise information to support awareness, earlier recognition, more responsive care, and stronger support systems.

• Let’s Examine This Podcast: ADHD
  This episode examines how ADHD presents in young males and how it can affect life, learning, and relationships. Experts discuss signs of ADHD, approaches to treatment and support, and ways young males can manage the condition over time.

• Let’s Examine This Podcast: Relational Development
  This episode explores relational health in young males and the importance of close, supportive relationships. The discussion considers how masculinity norms can affect intimacy and connection, and how healthy relationships influence learning, physical health, emotional well-being, and development.

• PMY National Symposia: Suicide
  This symposium focused on suicide among adolescent and young adult males and the factors that can place them at greater risk. Experts discuss recognition, prevention, help-seeking, and approaches that can better support young males, families, caregivers, and communities.

• PMY National Symposia: Depression
  This symposium examined depression in adolescent and young adult males, including ways symptoms may be overlooked or misunderstood. Experts discuss barriers to recognition and care, as well as strategies for identifying depression and improving support for young males.

• Voices of Male Youth Mental Health
  This video centers the perspectives of young males as they discuss mental health, emotional well-being, and the pressures they face. Their experiences highlight the importance of listening to young people and creating environments where seeking support feels possible.

• Publication: Unrecognized Depression in Adolescent and Young Adult Males
  This report reviews research on why depression in adolescent and young adult males is often unrecognized, underdiagnosed, or misdiagnosed. It examines male-specific symptoms, coping behaviors, social influences, assessment challenges, and recommendations for more responsive support, recognition, and care.

Adolescent and young adult males face important sexual and reproductive health risks, including sexually transmitted infections and gaps in preventive care. Limited engagement with routine health services and inconsistent education can leave young males without reliable information about screening, protection, consent, and healthy relationships. Open, inclusive communication can help them make informed decisions about their health.

Resources

• Fast Facts: Sexual and Reproductive Health
  This brief summarizes key sexual and reproductive health issues affecting adolescent and young adult males, including puberty, sexual behavior, sexually transmitted infections, and preventive care. It provides concise information to support informed conversations, screening, prevention, and healthier decision-making.

• Coffee Break Chat: HPV: A Conversation
  This conversation explores HPV and its relevance to adolescent and young adult males. It provides context for understanding HPV-related risks, prevention, vaccination, and the kinds of conversations that can help young males and families make informed health decisions.

• Coffee Break Chat: HPV: Vaccine Hesitancy
  This conversation focuses on HPV vaccine hesitancy and the concerns that can make vaccination decisions difficult for families. It examines common questions and barriers while offering context for clearer, more confident discussions about HPV prevention, vaccination, and safety.

• Parent Primer: Understanding Your Teen Son’s Sexual and Reproductive Health
  This parent primer explains physical, sexual, and emotional development during male adolescence and offers guidance for supporting a son through puberty. It also addresses sexual identity, health concerns, communication, and when parents should consider consulting a healthcare provider.

• Sex and the Male College Athlete
  This brochure addresses sexual health for male college athletes, including sexual risk behaviors, sexually transmitted infections, prevention, testing, and access to care. It encourages athletes to treat sexual well-being as an important part of overall health and performance.

• Talking to Parents About HPV
  This guide helps clinicians talk with parents about HPV vaccination for young males using clear, confident, and empathetic communication. It addresses common concerns, emphasizes cancer prevention, and offers practical approaches for recommending vaccination and supporting informed parental decisions.

Adolescent and young adult males are developing their sexual identities while navigating expectations about masculinity, relationships, and sexual behavior. Open conversations about gender, sexual orientation, consent, vulnerability, and respect can help young males build healthy, reciprocal relationships. Inclusive education and support are especially important for young people exploring diverse sexual or gender identities.

Resources

• Let’s Examine This Podcast: Gender and Sexuality
  This episode explores the distinctions between gender and sexuality and the experiences of young people who are sexual or gender minorities. It also discusses how parents and caregivers can offer support, find appropriate healthcare, and encourage healthy development.

• Let’s Examine This Podcast: Gender Equity and Consent
  This episode examines how to help young males develop respect for women, girls, and people across gender identities. The discussion explores gender equity, consent, sexuality, and ways adults can begin meaningful conversations about healthy, respectful relationships and behavior.

Substance use disorders are more prevalent among adolescent and young adult males, who may begin using substances earlier and engage in higher-risk behaviors such as binge drinking or polydrug use. Peer pressure, masculine norms, and unaddressed emotional distress can contribute to these patterns. Prevention and treatment should address both substance use and the barriers that keep young males from seeking help.

Resources

• Fast Facts: Substance Use Disorders
  This brief summarizes substance use patterns and risks among adolescent and young adult males, including alcohol, marijuana, illicit drugs, and high-risk behaviors. It highlights factors that can contribute to use and the importance of prevention, recognition, and support.

Item descriptionAdolescent and young adult males experience high rates of violence and trauma, including community violence, physical assault, and other external threats. Their distress may be overlooked when expectations about masculinity discourage vulnerability or emotional expression. Trauma-informed care, supportive relationships, and environments that normalize help-seeking can promote healing and resilience.

Resources

• Fast Facts: Violence and Trauma
  This brief highlights the forms of violence and trauma that disproportionately affect adolescent and young adult males. It covers exposure to violence, trauma responses, risk patterns, and the need for greater recognition, support, effective prevention, and trauma-informed care.

• Let’s Examine This Podcast: Healing from Hardships
  This episode considers how young males can thrive in the face of adversity and what parents, caregivers, clinicians, and communities can do to help. The discussion emphasizes resilience, supportive relationships, communities of care, and ways to strengthen support.

• Let’s Examine This Podcast: Boys of Color and Environmental Inequity
  This episode explores environmental risks affecting boys of color while also focusing on the strengths and assets within their communities. The discussion considers inequity, resilience, healing, and what broader society can learn from community-based responses and lived experiences.