14 June 2021

Marking Men's Health Week

Studies and historical statistics have shown that men have a harder time opening up when it comes to dealing with mental health issues. Three times as many men as women die by suicide, and only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men*.

It’s a subject Roman Kemp explored recently in his documentary, The Silent Emergency**, which looked at what can be done about the increasing number of young men taking their own lives, following the suicide of a good friend.

This is why Men’s Health Week is so important. It runs this year from 14th to 20th June, and this continues a focus on mental health for men, how the pandemic has impacted men’s health and what can be done going forward.

While important, it’s not just mental health we need to focus on; physical health is important too. Of the nearly 8,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the working age population (people aged 20 to 64 years) of England and Wales last year, nearly two-thirds were men (5,128)***.

As an employer, it’s good practice to create an environment where employees can feel safe to discuss mental or physical health if they wish to.

Mental Health Champions or First Aiders can offer great visibility and support for colleagues, especially when they are made up of different people from the business (if it’s only members of the HR or management teams available, this can put some people off talking).

Having an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which can provide a confidential support line for people who may not wish to discuss their concerns or issues with someone they know can also help.

Staff might benefit from access to a virtual GP service, so they can discuss concerns over the phone or on video at a time that is convenient for them. The research for men certainly bears this out.

The main thing is to be open and allow these conversations to happen, and to make sure your staff know what support your company has available. You can find further information on the topics above here:

Men’s Health Forum (menshealthforum.org.uk)

CALM Homepage – Campaign Against Living Miserably

References

*Mental Health Foundation, (2020) Men and Mental Health, https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/m/men-and-mental-health

** https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p099qztw

*** https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/news/covid-19-killer-workplace