Men’s mental health matters

Whilst mental health affects both males and females, in fact some reports indicate mental health illness is more prevalent amongst females, men are three times more likely to die of suicide than women. There’s definitely a deep connection, therefore, between men and mental health.

Here’s some statistics around men’s mental health in the UK.

• Men are less likely to seek help for their mental health with only 36% of all NHS referrals for psychological therapies being for men.
• More than half, or 52%, would be concerned about taking time off work
• Just slightly less than half, or 46%, would be embarrassed to talk to their employer
• As mentioned above, suicide is a major cause of death, especially for those under 50

So, what could be the cause of this and does men’s mental health really matter?

It really comes down to one thing – stigma. Here’s an interesting summary from the Circle Group.

Although mental health problems are extremely common, stigma is still attached to them, making them difficult to talk about. Societal genders roles can dictate that when men express emotion, they are not “real men”. This stigma can cause men to suppress their emotions in order to present as “manly” and “strong”, which leads to men’s mental health being ignored. Men are less likely than women to seek help from friends or medical professionals for mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). Men’s mental health awareness is getting better, but there’s still a lot that can be done to ensure men get the support they need at a time of crisis.

Circle Group

It brings the point about embarrassment and feeling you’re not being who you’re meant to be which, sadly, leads to closure and ultimately not dealing the problem head on. This closure leads to silence on the matter which further leads to losing hope as you can’t see a way through this.

Conversely, by opening up and talking about it, channels for treatment and recovery can be opened. The good news is there’s lots of ways men can help improve their mental health, including speaking to a friend or family member, talking to your doctor in confidence and even journalling how you feel.

The other bit of good news is, research shows there’s certain signs to look out for to see if you’re developing a mental health condition. These include the following.

• aggressiveness, anger, and irritability
• changes in mood or energy levels
• changes in appetite or sleeping habits
• difficulty focusing
• feeling restless or “on edge”
• a high consumption of alcohol
• inappropriate use of drugs
• participating in risky activities
• feeling sad, hopeless, numb, or emotionally “flat”
• having aches, pains, or other physical symptoms without a clear cause
• obsessive or compulsive thoughts or behaviours
• thinking or acting in a way that causes concern to others or has a negative impact on work, social, or family life
• thinking about or attempting suicide

We’ve created a small playlist of videos for men, by men, talking about their mental health. At Spark we’re on a two-pronged mission – helping organisations with workplace wellbeing and also normalising the conversation around men’s mental health. You’re not alone.

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