Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental health, we all have it. But what is it? 

Mental health includes our emotional, social and psychological wellbeing. It affects how we feel, think, behave and sleep. Mental health is considered to be on a continuum meaning it’s something we all have, which can vary from person to person, depending on our circumstances. So when does mental health become a problem? 

Sometimes changes in our mental health can be very sudden, with no identifiable trigger, but other times it can be a slow decline, some of the most common warning signs of a decline in our mental health can be:

Men’s Mental Health Week

In the UK the 14th – 18th June is Men’s mental health week, but why is the focus on men? 

According to the https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/m/men-and-mental-health website;

• 1 in 8 men in the UK suffers from depression, anxiety or OCD. 
• Men are 3 times more likely to die by suicide than women.
• Men aged 40-49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK. 

There could be many internal and external factors that contribute to ill mental health with stress, pressure, and stigma being top of the list for many. One of the reasons men tend to suffer in silence is because they don’t feel they can talk or share how they are feeling. Instead, they try to cope on their own, or could form unhealthy coping mechanisms. 

Knowing how to help someone struggling can be tough and confusing especially if the person doesn’t recognise the signs themselves but we have a few suggestions to offer: 

1. Communicate. Reach out, talk to that person. Ask them how they are feeling and give them a chance to respond. 

2. Listen to that person with your full attention. Sometimes it can be tempting to speak about your own experiences or try to offer a solution. Try not to do this in the first instance, rather be genuine, show you care and offer space for them to talk through things in their own time. 

3. Get help – Reassure them that help is available. You could encourage them to call their GP to get advice and help or access their works EAP programme. In an emergency, always call 999.

As Occupational Therapists we are dual trained in mental and physical health, meaning we can offer a ‘holistic approach. After all, mental and physical health are very linked. Here at KMA, we not only offer expert occupational therapy through assessment and intervention, but also the internationally recognised Mental Health First Aid course which trains people to know what to do if they or someone they know is struggling with mental health. Please get in touch if you would like some further information. Or visit our Occupational therapy page here.