Why we all need to care about men’s mental health

In 2007 I made an impassioned speech in Parliament about shining a light on mental health and removing the stigma, investing in community-based care, early intervention, and workforce development.

I made this impassioned speech off the back of my own family’s experience, and the experience of many families, living with a person with mental health issues.

The focus was my Grandfather, whose story I shared, a veteran suffering post-traumatic stress in an era where the supports for him and the family were few.

There were many stories I did not share. Stories of husbands, brothers, sons, and others, experiencing mental health issues.

Over my life I have said goodbye to friends and family because of suicide. It has only been in this moment that I realised that the one and only thing they all had in common.

They were all men.

Leaving behind devastated partners, parents, children, friends and colleagues.

I read an article in the Daily Telegraph recently that referenced a 2017 report on the rate of “male suicide in construction workers was almost double that in all other occupations, at just over 24 per 100,000 men, highlighting the need for more mental health support in the industry.”[1]

Having worked for two decades in male-dominated environments of mining, manufacturing, energy, contracting and Parliament, the need for supportive leadership to facilitate and enable the conversation, not about illness but wellness, is profound.

I was overjoyed to see the CEO of John Holland, Joe Barr say: “The current rates of mental health concerns and suicide in our industry are unacceptably high”.

Calling for the Government to embed in infrastructure contracts the need for more flexible work practices and a focus on wellbeing for the health and wellbeing of workers within the infrastructure industry.

Joe, I could not agree more.

The conversation needs to shift from one of managing ill health to prevention through keeping people well and healthy.

Concurrently throughout the country, mental health, and more importantly mental health and wellbeing, dominates the conversation.

Earlier in October the Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson, when announcing the appointment of 12 Ambassadors to champion the importance of good mental health in the workplace, stated “The financial cost of mental health to NSW employers is $2.8 billion a year, but for every dollar invested into improving culture and outcomes for those living with mental ill-health, there is a return on investment of up to four dollars.”

What does investment in mental health and wellbeing look like?

It goes above and beyond mental health first aid and into systemic and ongoing action.

Here are 10 actions that organisations can do to invest in the mental health and wellbeing of their people.

1.    Train supportive leaders

Front line leaders need to lead with empathy, care, and concern. They need to identify, act and remove risk to employee’s health and wellbeing. It is first and foremost about supportive leadership. We do after all spend one third of our life at work.

2.    Use and promote health and wellbeing programs

That encourage, motivate and engage employees and their families to actively manage and guard those things that are essential to wellbeing. Sleep, physical activity, nutrition, and mindfulness.

3.    Support a healthy work-life balance

Enabling staff through systems, policies, organisational behaviour, and culture to take time out for social connection and important lifetime events. Whether it’s school assemblies, babies, parents, volunteering or playing in the Grand Final - we all need to belong and be part of something bigger than ourselves.

4.    Connect with your community

How is what we do, our day to day contribution part of making society better? Whether it is our built environment, keeping the lights on, caring for the vulnerable, or building capability and capacity we are all part of making this world a better place.

5.    Assess jobs and workplaces

What are the job demands from a biopsychosocial perspective? Are we ensuring employees physically and psychologically safe?

If employees are working 12 hours a day, six days a week, what is the long-term impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing?

6.    Get help to manage change

Ensure supports are in place for people transitioning through change.

7.    Analyse psychological incidents

Just like critical incident investigations and root cause analysis following a near miss or physical injury, workplaces should learn from critical incidents of a psychological nature.

8.    Train all employees in your values

Values-based behaviour, respectful relationships and managing uncomfortable situations before they become an incident are all vital.

Ask yourself, ‘How do we call out behaviours that are not consistent with the organisational values?’ and ensure your leaders know how to respond.

9.    Keep talking about mental health and wellbeing

Have open conversations, like the ones we are having today, and use tools such as posters, events and guest speakers about mental health and wellbeing. With a focus on removing the stigma and sign posting supports. 

10. Listen

Drop the organisational hierarchy and listen to your staff. Everything from social media listening through to regular pulse surveys of employees and everything in the middle. Actively listen and most importantly act.

Of course there is no definitive list or solution.

But we can all be part of the coalition of the willing working hard to make our work lives better, and reduce the traumatic consequences that may be avoided with more mental health and wellbeing support.

Where mental health has no stigma, there is a focus on wellbeing in every aspect of life, and there are the supports and resources available to support individuals, families and workplaces experiencing a period of mental ill health.

If this is you, I hope I have given you some ideas to add to your toolkit as we work towards making the workplace a happier, healthier place to be. For all our men folk, and the rest of us as well.

[1] https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/project-sydney-building-on-mental-health-reform/news-story/2758f4d93fb2e15cf2f218445e488795