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We need to talk about men's mental health

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​When it comes to mental health, we usually talk in generalisations. We all know that it’s an important issue but what we often fail to notice is that it’s an issue which impacts men and women differently.

As a result, it’s a topic that needs to be approached differently in order to support those who need it.

Mental health in the workplace is thankfully being discussed more by firms. Although the support for our male colleagues isn’t always at the forefront of conversations.

With International Men’s Day coming up, now feels like an opportune time to start the conversation around men’s mental health and making sure that we’re all taking steps to give our male colleagues the support they need.

The state of men’s mental health

The research on men’s mental health presents an overwhelming reason to take action.

40% have never spoken to someone about their mental health with 29% of those embarrassed to talk about it. Three quarters of registered suicides in the UK in 2020 were men.

It paints a bleak picture of men feeling isolated and ashamed of their mental struggles. That’s further compounded by the reasons they give for not talking to anyone about it:

●      I’ve learnt to deal with it - 40%

●      I don’t want to be a burden - 36%

●      I’m too embarrassed - 29%

●      I don’t want to appear weak -  16%

●      I have no one to talk to - 14%

[Source: Priory]

When considering men’s mental health, we need to consider how can we help and support our colleagues and make it a safe space for people to say they aren’t ok. Sometimes, when people need help, it is incredibly difficult to ask for help.

We have a responsibility to ask the right questions, not to intrude, but to give people an opportunity to speak. For us to recognise signposts when support may be required.


International Men’s Day

With an air of reluctance over discussing men’s mental health problems, the challenge for businesses is kick starting the conversation. International Men’s Day is on 19 November and, if used correctly, can be the kick start needed to raise the profile of men’s mental health.

The theme for this year is positive male role models and we can draw upon examples of men who have shared their mental health struggles and overcome them.

Often having a high profile or influential individual - this could be a celebrity, or it could be a leader within the business, sharing their story allows others to feel seen, to realise they aren’t alone and to open up about their own concerns and fears.


Creating a conversation

We all spend a great deal of time at work, for a full-time employee you’re looking at upwards of 1,500 hours a year. As employers we have a duty of care for our colleagues, and part of that is creating a psychologically safe environment where people are happy to share their struggles and their concerns while feeling comfortable asking for help.

Dr Doug Wright, Medical Director at Aviva UK Health outlined the problem perfectly, “Communication is key. You can’t force an individual to talk, but you can make it easy for them to find and access support if they need it.” Mental health support at work isn’t about providing the solution, but it’s about helping those that want support accessing it when they need to, free of judgement.

How can employers support men who might be struggling with their mental health? It’s a nuanced area with no one-size-fits all solution, but there are basic steps that can be put in place to help anyone that might need it.


Encourage open communication

There’s a stereotype that men who express their emotions are weak. That’s a dangerous belief, one that leaves men feeling like they can’t talk about their mental health without being stigmatised.

To address this, employers need to focus on creating open communication that allows men the opportunity to share or simply to hear other people’s stories. That might be through a seminar series, it might be leadership opening up about some of their challenges or it might be 1-1 with their line manager.

It’s about ensuring there are a variety of touchpoints and mechanisms in place so when someone is dealing with their mental health, they don’t have to seek out support. It’s right in front of them, making it easy for them to open up and access help.


Prioritise work life balance

There’s a direct correlation between mental and physical health. As employers we need to respect that link and ensure our employees are taking care of themselves in every way possible. That might mean flexible working to allow your team to go to a gym class or take a longer lunch break to go for a run. It might mean running pilates in-house.

It also requires leading by example. People will only feel comfortable sticking to their working hours if that’s what your management team is doing. They need to see it happening to feel that it’s ok to do it themselves. Working long hours, poor nutrition and limited exercise are all going to negatively impact your mental health.

Demonstrating and celebrating a work life balance is key to a healthy lifestyle.


Wellbeing focused benefits

There are a whole host of different benefits focused on wellbeing that you can offer. From cycle to work schemes, to gym memberships, to private healthcare. It’s worth consulting your existing team and finding out what’s important to them. After all there’s no point paying for office-wide gym memberships to find out only one person is using it because it’s not convenient for anyone else.

Finding ways to make it easier to support your employees to look after themselves will help build good habits, but also to show that you really do care about them and their health, whether that’s physical or mental.


Taking the first step

At Ambition we’ve recently introduced monthly men’s chats, where our male employees are able to have open conversations about how they’re feeling and any challenges they’re facing. We already had these opportunities already in place for women, but realised that there was no male alternative. When we launched the monthly men’s chat, there was a degree of scepticism around them and we weren’t sure how they were going to go. However, our male colleagues said it was a really powerful and positive experience. So much so, that they run monthly and we have launched them globally.

It’s easy to think that men don’t want to talk and share, but until you try you don’t know what the response will be, and it might surprise you. Allyship works for all groups of people.

We need to talk about men’s mental health. It’s that simple. Men are internalising their struggles and being left to feel that they’re on their own and that’s not the case.

It needs to become part of the broader employee care agenda, sitting alongside other DEI topics. By creating a psychologically safe working environment that encourages open communication, and having the right support close to hand we can create a workplace where everyone, regardless of gender, thrives.

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