Why do we need International Men's Health Month?

The month of November is dedicated to bringing awareness to a wide range of men's health issues. It's no secret that men are often more reluctant to seek help or medical assistance when dealing with health issues - this is no different when it comes to mental health. Compared to women, men are almost half as likely to seek professional help for mental health concerns (DT Smith et al., 2018).

In Northern Ireland, there's a stigma surrounding mental health, with mounting pressure on men to 'man up'. Traditional gender roles and social expectations handed down by generations before, such as 'being strong' and 'in control', can affect how men access help for their mental health problems. Men are less likely to open up to their family and friends about their mental health struggles, which can have worrying consequences. In fact, suicide is the leading killer of men under 50 in Northern Ireland, with men being three times more likely to die by suicide than women. 

So what can we do?

We need to work together to reduce mental illness stigma and shatter the social expectations placed upon men to increase their chances of accessing support. 

As an individual – TALK! Talk openly about mental health amongst your male friends and family. The more we can normalise conversations about mental health, the easier it will be for those struggling to open up about their feelings. If you think someone in your life is finding things difficult and you're unsure of how to start the conversation – check out our top tips surrounding how to support someone with a mental illness.

As an organisation, providing mental health training within working hours sends a clear message that you want to help – especially to your male employees, who may be more reluctant to open up about their problems. At AWARE, we offer our Mood Matters Workplace programme, which helps staff to look after their mental health at work and home. It also teaches them to recognise the signs and symptoms of poor mental health and makes them aware of sources of help. Please get in touch with our Education and Training Team by emailing training@aware-ni.org for further information and how to book this course.

If you are seeking help and you or someone you know is in distress, please contact Lifeline at 0808 808 8000 or Samaritans at 116 123 for confidential, emotional support. 

Tags: AWARE | Depression | Mens health | Mental Health | Northern Ireland