This is Mental Health Week and we at A-C-E are focusing on Men and Their Mental Wellbeing. Did you know that:
In England, around 1 in 8 men have a common mental health problem*. However, men may be reluctant to seek support for their mental health or disclose mental health problems to loved ones. While many of the same difficulties are experienced by both men and women, some difficulties and influences on mental health may be especially relevant for men.
Expectations of Society and Traditional Gender Roles
Societal Expectations, that is, the ways in which men and women have been traditionally expected to behave may play a role in mental health. For men, these expectations about how men “should” behave and what masculinity should be includes the expectation that men be the breadwinners of their family, and that they display what have traditionally been perceived as masculine traits like strength, stoicism, dominance, and control.
While wanting to feel, and feeling, strong and in control are not inherently negative things, some research suggests that a reliance on these traditional ideals as what it means to be “a man” may negatively impact men’s mental health.
The research on this suggests that behaving in a way that conforms to these expectations, specifically expectations of self-reliance, and power over others is associated with increased distress and poorer mental health*. Some research also suggests that men who feel as though they are unable speak openly about emotions may be less able to recognise symptoms of mental health problems in themselves, and less likely to reach out for support*
Help-Seeking
In England, men have been found to be less likely to access psychological therapies than women, with males making up only 36% of referrals to Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)*. Men may also be less likely to disclose their mental health issues to family members or friends, and more likely to use potentially harmful coping methods such as drugs or alcohol in response to distress*. However, there is research to suggest that men will seek and access help when they feel that the help being offered meets their preferences, and is easily accessed, meaningful, and engaging.
Suicide
In 2017, 5,821 suicides were recorded in Great Britain, of these 75% were males. Suicide represents the largest cause of death for men under 50*.
Higher rates of suicide are also found in minority communities including gay men, war veterans, men from BAME backgrounds, and those with low incomes. One group that may be particularly vulnerable to death by suicide are middle-aged men from lower socio-economic backgrounds.* This may be due to the interaction of a range of complex- factors that include: socioeconomic hardship, unemployment and underemployment, relationship breakdown, and lack of social support, all of which are common risk factors for suicide.
A-C-E can help!
If you need support please get in touch with us on contact@a-c-e.org.uk or speak to one of our wellbeing practitioners on 0800 144 8461 or our office on 07468 600 903.
*All statistics can be found on www.mentalhealth.org.uk.