Men’s mental health - The real epidemic that must be resolved

Hopefully all are aware of the appalling statistics surrounding the impact of men’s declining mental health.

But just in case you’ve missed it here a just a few:

• Suicide is the number 1 killer of men under 55 yrs

• Suicide kills 7 men in Australia per day

• 3 in every 4 suicides in Australia are men

One solution to the problem of men's mental health struggles is to ensure that all health professionals recognise that men experience depression differently to women. They need to be able to actively identify and address suicidal thinking and provide gender (Male) sensitive interventions.

Getting men to identify an issue is a different approach to how women might. Getting men to seek support is different. And even the approaches used to treat men are certainly different. Professionals, at all levels, need to demonstrate ‘male-positive’ values and offer future focussed and action oriented interventions. Through these approaches we can promote hope and become more engaging and engaged with men.