Men who experience loneliness are roughly twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts compared with those who do not.
More than half of men aged between 35 and 50 years old meet the criteria for loneliness, as ranked by the UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale.
The research was conducted by Mentoring Men, a free service that connects men with trained, local male mentors, which surveyed 2000 men living in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.
It found more than 65 per cent of men would welcome a life mentor, but 42 per cent were unaware that mentoring services existed near them.
This showed the real barrier was not willingness but awareness, Mentoring Men chief executive Filipe Gama e Silva said.
"The loneliness crisis is a critical health crisis (and) our research shows the vast majority of men are open to support, but many don't know where to turn so they just push through on their own," he said.
"This isn't just impacting men, but their families and communities too."
Matt, who did not provide his surname for privacy, is a Mentoring Men mentee and engaged the service as well as formal counselling.
"I had a marriage breakdown which was a difficult process and it was a very challenging time," he told AAP.
"It's a different experience for everyone but it can be really isolating."
Matt was connected with a mentor who is about 20 years older than him and provided a different perspective on challenges due to his life experience.
"What I liked about Mentoring Men is that it's talking to someone outside of your circle so you don't have to worry about feeling judged," Matt said.
"I think it's natural for people to feel worried about people's perceptions of them and how it might be viewed if they admit they need help."
In partnership with The Man Walk, Mentoring Men has launched a national "meet a mate" campaign for October to raise awareness of the importance of connection.
Men are encouraged to meet their friends and check in on each other's wellbeing.
Proactive, community campaigns were vital to reducing loneliness, Western Sydney University Centre for Male Health director Emma George said.
"Evidence suggests that men with lower levels of social support are more likely to experience psychological distress ... strong social connections are essential to achieving and sustaining good health," she said.
"Initiatives that build social capital and foster peer-to-peer connection can complement traditional health services to improve reach, accessibility, and impact."
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