June is recognized nationally as Men’s Mental Health Month.

The awareness comes as the reports that on average only 1 in 4 men seek mental health help.

With the last year that men account for 86% of all victims of firearm death and 87% of firearm injuries, the rise in gun violence in Columbia can affect the mental health of the city’s male population.

The administrator for Columbia’s Office of Violence Prevention, D’Markus Thomas Brown said mental health is important about community violence because the exposure also affects actions.

“Because we have the notion of a desensitization to violence. If I’m continually exposed to violence in a way, especially one that ends in death and I’m used to seeing death, there becomes a desensitization. To that, to where I can carry out something without even correctly processing through what this would mean for the individual or myself,” said Brown.

Brown mentioned practical steps like relatability and an assessment of past childhood traumas can help mitigate the toll surrounding violence can take on mental health.

“First off, share your process through trauma. We were in a process the other day where we were sending out the ACE test and people were going through and realizing like, wow, if you are three on that ACE test, some things come with it, negative effects that come with it, and to realize it’s not what’s wrong with you, it’s what happened to you,” said Brown.

The ace test tallied different types of abuse, neglect, and other hallmarks of a rough childhood.

According to the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, the rougher your childhood, the higher your score is likely to be and the higher your risk for later health issues.

This made it a valuable resource in bringing awareness to mental health this month.