Three Important Questions about Men's Mental health and well-being
Dr. Joseph F.
Clinician, Author, NDIS Provider and Academic, Member of the AASW Accreditation Council, AASW Fellow, EMDR clinical specialist.
Often I have been asked about the difference between men and women's mental health. This is often asked because traditionally men do not actively seek out help in the same way as women.
The idea that men are often reluctant to seek out help is not that clear cut and there is a lot of debate about this from many viewpoints.
In this post I wanted to capture some of the most common sayings and ideas about men's mental health that are often raised by professionals and others alike.
- Men do not readily seek help when they experience mental distress or difficulties
Men will access a service or professional if they feel and believe that that professional or service can engage with them. In other words its about "engagement and relationship building"
2. Men are more likely to experience depression than women
On average both men and women will experience depressive episodes, although women are twice as likely to to experience a depressive episode
3. Men are unable to show emotions when faced with serious health or relationship issues
Men are often conditioned or socialized not to display emotional distress and research shows that when men are deprived of social support do they have poorer outcomes than women.
Whilst this is not a complete list of questions, its helpful to reflect on the key messages that can enable greater conversations about inviting men into the helping spaces. It may not suit all men but at least it will provide a 'welcome mat' for some.