In the highest-attended event of the Mind, Body, Battle Ready Campaign to date, military and civilian members packed into the historic Waterloo Officers’ Mess for a raw and revelatory seminar titled “Mental Health in a Male-Dominated Workplace.” Hosted by the PSP Borden Health Promotion team, the session welcomed guest speaker Trevor Mayo, who’s a nationally recognized equity and inclusion consultant, to unpack the stigmas, challenges and opportunities surrounding men’s mental health in uniformed environments.
“We don’t just roll out of bed ready to have hard conversations,” said Mayo. “We need to build that capacity—and psychological safety is the foundation.”
The seminar, which followed recent workshops on physical activity, sleep hygiene, and women’s health, marked a key turning point in the series: one that directly addressed the cultural pressures shaping the way men navigate emotional wellbeing in high-performance, mission-driven environments like the Canadian Armed Forces.
Culture, Connection, and the Cost of Silence
Mayo began the session by acknowledging the societal and institutional scripts many men grow up internalizing: Don’t show emotion. Always be tough. Never ask for help.
While these attitudes may have once been seen as part of a “resilient” identity, Mayo challenged the room to consider their toll. In Canada, three out of four suicide deaths are men. Male opioid overdoses and untreated mental illness remain disproportionately high. Within the military, many members still fear that acknowledging psychological strain could derail their careers.
“Policy is not culture,” Mayo stressed. “Culture lives in how we talk to one another. How we respond when someone’s struggling. That’s on all of us in this room.”
This disconnection, he argued, fuels a silent epidemic—especially in male-dominated fields where vulnerability is often equated with weakness. Yet Mayo made clear that psychological safety isn’t about being comfortable—it’s about being able to show up as your full self, especially when it’s hard.
A Call to Action: “Show Me It’s Okay”
Drawing from personal experience, Mayo described how a former boss created space in the workplace for honest emotional check-ins. At first, he was skeptical. But by the third meeting, he felt safe enough to admit he was struggling. That moment led to a formal diagnosis and a turning point in both his personal and professional life.
“It wasn’t until someone else showed me it was okay that I realized what I’d been carrying,” Mayo said. “That’s the power of leading with vulnerability.”
He invited participants to reflect on four psychological patterns that arise in toxic cultures:
- “It’s on me”
- “I’m terrified”
- “I can’t turn to anyone”
- “Show me it’s okay”
The remedy? Small, authentic acts of leadership at every rank level. Not policy changes—though those are important—but personal shifts: checking in, asking how someone’s really doing, and following through when they open up.
Open Dialogue, Tough Truths
The latter half of the seminar encouraged candid group discussion about what’s holding people back from engaging openly on mental health.
Some cited fear of stigma or lost opportunities—especially in safety-critical roles like aircraft maintenance. Others spoke about past experiences where they opened up, only to be ignored or dismissed by leadership.
“Why should I be vulnerable,” one participant asked, “if nothing changes when I do?”
That question, Mayo said, underscores the importance of follow-through. “It’s not enough to say your door is open. You have to show people that walking through it leads somewhere.”
Other insights included:
- The value of simply “being yourself” more often at work to build trust.
- The damaging belief that substance use is the only culturally acceptable coping mechanism.
- The crucial role of peer support and buddy systems in high-stakes operational environments.
Building a Culture of Trust
Ultimately, Mayo framed mental health as both a human imperative and an operational priority. Units that foster psychological safety, he noted, experience:
- Fewer errors and injuries
- Greater innovation and adaptability
- Higher morale, retention, and cohesion
“This isn’t some ‘nice to have,’” he said. “This is mission-critical.”
Participants left with a challenge: reflect on how they want to show up for themselves and others, and commit to at least one authentic conversation in the days ahead.
“You don’t need to be a therapist,” Mayo said in closing. “You just need to be present. Be real. And keep practicing.”
