What is it?
The month of November is men’s mental health awareness month. It exists to raise awareness of men’s mental health issues, and the stigma that exists around them. The aim is to reduce this stigma and make men feel more comfortable talking about mental health.
Why is it important
It’s crucial to have a time of the year dedicated to men’s mental health because previously, it's often been something that goes under the radar. Fortunately thanks to events like Men’s mental health awareness month, this is slowly changing. However, just because people are talking about it more – it doesn’t mean the problem is anywhere near resolved - there is still a lot of work to be done!
Some facts and statistics
Here are some facts from [1]mentalhealth.org:
- Three times as many men as women die by suicide
- In the UK men aged 40 to 49 have the highest suicide rates.
- Men report lower levels of life satisfaction than women according to the Government’s national wellbeing survey
- Men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women: only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men
Their relevance
The statistics show that men deal with mental health issues in higher proportions than women, but for numerous reasons their access to mental health help because of social barriers is lessened. This disparity in help is the reason for Men’s mental health awareness month. The hope being that if the stigma is lessened and people (men in particular) are informed that it’s okay for men to seek help then there will be a change in society that means fewer men struggle in silence.
What can you do to help?
Below are a few ways you can help someone who may be struggling with mental health issues:
- Raise Awareness
- Look out for symptoms of anxiety and depression in those close to you
- Start dialogue
- Explain what help is out there
- Don’t neglect your own mental needs.
Men’s mental health resources.
Heads up guys is a website dedicated to men's mental health issues - below we've linked their collection of resources for men's mental health:
https://headsupguys.org/helpful-links/
Below are a couple of crisis lines that provide someone to talk to confidentially about any mental health struggles you may have regardless of how big or small they may seem:
Samaritans [116 123] 24/7 365 days a year
Calm [0800 58 58 58] 5pm-Midnight 365 days a year
Brown Paper Packages
If you're looking to get a gift for someone close to you that you feel is struggling there are plenty of options on our site - and a gift to let someone know you're there for them is a good addition to any other ways you are supporting them.
Also for some more mental health gift ideas for men - check out our Mental Health Gifts for Him blog.
[1] https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/men-and-mental-health
