Recognising Men’s Mental Health and raising awareness around this subject is extremely important to us at Cavendish Professionals. Promoting Men’s Mental Health awareness throughout our organisation, offers opportunity for the more vulnerable to speak out and seek support if necessary.
Knowing that support is available is crucial
Understanding the connection between mental and physical health, prioritising both equally will improve overall wellbeing. We encourage men and boys to prioritise their health and to seek help or treatment at any stage of their lives.
Why we need to talk about Men’s Mental Health
Globally, 3 times as many men as women die by suicide, with men between the ages of 40-49 being the most vulnerable. These staggering figures shows there is a need for more awareness around men’s mental health. Men are less likely to communicate or seek help for their mental health problems as a result of societal expectations and established gender norms.
In most households’ men are frequently expected to be breadwinners, strong, dominant, and in command. While none of these things are necessarily harmful, they might make it more difficult for males to seek treatment and open up, leading to depression or suicidal thoughts.
Depression is a condition that cannot be wished away. It’s a major mental health condition that impacts how someone eats, sleeps, feels, and thinks on a regular basis. It may also impede a person’s ability to work, attend school, and maintain friendships and family ties. Depression is not a sign of weakness, and it can strike any man of any age, race, or nationality.
Some of the most significant factors in poor mental health will be life events in childhood or adulthood, which include:
- Abuse or neglect
- Unemployment
- Physical or sexual assault
- Loss of a loved one
- Unemployment
- Ending a relationship
How to help?
If you feel your husband, son, nephew any loved one in your life is struggling with their mental health, there are some practical steps you can follow to assist. Firstly, start a conversation. Allowing them to open up and chat about their problems, is a great start. It is important to keep in mind that this first chat may not be productive. Sometimes people who are struggling the most may refuse to communicate and deny that there is a problem.
Explaining what kind of help is available is another step in the right direction. Supporting your friend, colleague or loved one, is to gather some information on where they can get support, which may include a GP visit, finding a therapist or speaking to a colleague.
Looking for support?
If you are seeking support for your mental health, it is often easier to speak to someone you don’t know, who specialises in this area. Today there are endless websites and organisations available that can provide you with the help and support you may need. Some of these include:
At Cavendish Professionals, we invest in the people who work within our organisation and we believe it is extremely important to prioritise and talk about our mental health. We encourage everyone to always check in on their their loved ones, friends and colleagues to make sure they are doing ok.
