What’s Men’s Health Week and Why is it Important?
Men's Health Week is celebrated every year around the world in mid June. The goal is to take the opportunity to highlight men's health and what it means to be healthy. During this week it’s important to think about and discuss what needs to be done to improve the lives and health of men and boys. This happens through a series of promotions, events and publicity around the country.
The health status of males in Australia and most other countries around the world is generally poorer than that of females. Men also tend to live approximately 6 years shorter than woman for several reasons. However, there are less frequent visits to general practitioners from men, which draws the question as to why… is it that they aren’t interested in their own health or that health services are not well-prepared to interact with men effectively?
Basically, during Men’s Health Week the goal is to celebrate the strengths of men and the important role they play in society by promoting their health, including their mental health. We want to be able to get men and boys to break the stigma and be more engaged and participate in mental health, to break the stigma and normalise their feelings.
Some Statistics men account for…
3 in 4 suicides
93% of workplace deaths
2 in 3 preventable deaths
4 x more heart disease deaths
Why is men’s mental health important?
As human beings we all experience different emotions and sometimes people can experience mental health issues. With men, there is still stigma around their mental health. Some people believe that men shouldn’t experience difficult feelings and emotions, and that they need to “man up” or be seen as weak or not ‘manly’. Such views can be hurtful, unhelpful and at times harmful to the individual. These opinions of men being a certain way can create a path towards mental health issues, where they will feel they can’t speak or be if they do - be judged.
Luckily, there is a shift in society towards accepting men’s difficult emotions and mental health as being as normal as women’s. If we are all human beings, then why should our emotions be judged based on our gender?
What can we do to help?
Focus on normalising men’s health and mental health by engaging in the conversation with men about their health
Improve access to and engagement with health services
Provide support for men and boys in the community
Have engaging, non-judgemental and supportive conversations with men in your life about their health as well as mental health
Engage others in your circle to join you in promoting Men’s Health and fighting the stigma of mental health
At Melbourne Wellbeing Group, we ensure all our clients receive the support they need. We want to remove the stigma of mental health for men and increase their mental wellbeing and quality of life. If you believe you or a loved one need support, then give us a call to make an appointment with one of our Psychologists
**Some information taken from Men’s Health Week and Australian Men’s Health Forum