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Key points
- Professor of Psychiatry at UBC and director of its Psychotherapy Program
- Founded HeadsUpGuys, a free men's mental health resource, in 2015
- HeadsUpGuys reports more than 6.5 million visits
- Its Self Check depression screener has been completed more than 500,000 times
Many men who are struggling never say so out loud, not even to their doctor. John Ogrodniczuk saw that clearly, and he built something to meet men where they already are: online, in private, at any hour. HeadsUpGuys, the free resource he founded at the University of British Columbia, has become one of the best-known places for men to learn about depression and find help. In a month when men’s health gets extra attention, his work deserves a closer look.
A researcher focused on therapy
Ogrodniczuk is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC and directs the UBC Psychotherapy Program. His research looks at psychotherapy across many groups of patients, with a special focus on personality disorders and men’s mental health. He is a past president of the North American chapter of the International Society for Psychotherapy Research and also keeps a private psychotherapy practice.
The survey that started it
HeadsUpGuys grew out of a simple finding. A survey in a doctor’s waiting room showed that many men were having suicidal thoughts they had never shared with their physicians. Ogrodniczuk and his team wanted to reach those men with practical, trustworthy information they could use on their own terms. HeadsUpGuys launched in 2015, based in Vancouver.
What HeadsUpGuys offers
The site is built around plain, useful tools rather than lectures. Among them:
- Self Check, a depression screener completed more than 500,000 times as of 2025
- A Stress Test, added in 2018, to help men sort and track what is weighing on them
- Newer self-checks for anger, loneliness, relationships, money worries, workplace stress and a sense of purpose
- A Find a Therapist directory, launched in 2021, with professionals in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and Ireland
- Self-guided courses on topics like mindfulness and anger management
- More than 100 personal stories from men who have lived through depression, anxiety, grief and other challenges
The organization describes its values as inclusive, positive and mutually supportive, and its vision is a world where suicide is no longer a top five cause of death for men of any age.
Reach and research
HeadsUpGuys reports more than 6.5 million visits, mostly from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and other English-speaking communities. About 20,000 connections with therapists have been started through the site. A 2016 survey of visitors found that 74 per cent better recognized the symptoms of depression and 72 per cent felt more hope for recovery.
The program also feeds research. As of 2025, HeadsUpGuys had contributed to more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, and Ogrodniczuk has written about it himself, including a 2023 paper on silence in men’s mental illness in Nature Mental Health.
Find HeadsUpGuys
You can explore the tools, stories and therapist directory at HeadsUpGuys.org. HeadsUpGuys is a registered Canadian charity funded by private donations, and it is on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). Ogrodniczuk’s research profile is on the UBC Reducing Male Suicide cluster site.
Questions and answers
Who is John Ogrodniczuk?
John Ogrodniczuk is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia and director of the UBC Psychotherapy Program. He founded HeadsUpGuys, an online men's mental health resource based in Vancouver.
What is HeadsUpGuys?
HeadsUpGuys is a free online resource, run as a program of UBC, that helps men manage depression and reduce suicide risk. It offers self-check tools, self-care tips, self-guided courses, recovery stories and an international therapist directory.
Is HeadsUpGuys free to use?
Yes. Its tools and articles are free. HeadsUpGuys is a registered Canadian charity, and its site says its operating costs are funded by private donations.
