Journal of African Development

Domestic violence against men represents a profoundly underrecognized public health crisis with devastating mental health consequences that extend far beyond visible physical injuries. While societal discourse predominantly frames domestic violence through a gendered lens focusing on female victimization, emerging evidence reveals that male victims experience comparable rates of psychological trauma, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation. This research examines the unique mental health burden experienced by male domestic violence survivors through a comprehensive analysis of psychological symptomatology, help-seeking barriers, and long-term psychiatric outcomes. Drawing on data from 1,847 male survivors across clinical and community settings, we document that 68% meet diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder, 72% exhibit clinically significant PTSD symptoms, and 43% report active suicidal ideation—rates comparable to or exceeding those documented in female survivor populations. The study reveals how masculine gender norms, societal stigma, institutional bias, and lack of male-specific support services create compounding psychological distress beyond the abuse itself. Male survivors face unique mental health challenges, including shame-based internalization, identity disruption, social isolation, and systemic invalidation that intensify psychiatric symptoms and impede recovery. We identify critical gaps in mental health screening, trauma-informed care protocols, and therapeutic interventions specifically designed for male survivors. This work contributes both empirical documentation of mental health outcomes in understudied populations and practical frameworks for clinicians, policymakers, and service providers to address this hidden epidemic through evidence-based, gender-inclusive approaches to domestic violence mental health care