NFL player’s suicide initiates conversation about men’s mental health and false vaccine claims

Last week, a National Football League player died by suicide at 28 years old. His death sparked conversation on social media about men’s mental health. Some comments on posts about the player’s death said men need more mental health support. Others falsely claimed COVID-19 vaccines cause mental illness and suicide.

Recommendation:Conversations about men’s mental health and suicide prevention provide an opportunity to promote mental health resources in your community—such as therapy, support groups, hotlines, and local mental health centers. These trending conversations also provide an opportunity to push out messaging that outlines the signs of mental health disorders in men. While engaging directly with false claims about vaccines and mental illness may detract from key talking points, ensuring that vaccine-related informational materials use prebunking messaging to explain how COVID-19 vaccination is associated with improved mental health is recommended.