June is Men’s Health Month and we use social media to share education and awareness about men’s health issues around the world.

The statistics analysing the status of men’s mental health are stark and demonstrate why the approach to men’s mental health services needs to be reconsidered.

• In the UK, on average, 13 men each day take their life by suicide. This is three times higher than the rate for women. Men aged between 40 and 49 have the highest suicide rates in comparison with to the total number of recorded suicides.
• Men are more likely to face mental health challenges involving homelessness, with men making up 87% of rough sleepers, as well as alcohol and drug dependency, where men are three times more likely than women to be affected. 
• Despite these statistics, men are less likely to access community-based mental health support. Only 36% of the referrals to NHS psychological talking therapies are for men.
• However, men are more likely than women to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month plays a vital role in bringing this issue to the fore so that mental health services can find ways to address this disparity. The aim moving forward is twofold. First, men need to access mental health services in the community early on, before an escalation to a mental health crisis requiring detention. Second, community-based mental health services need to be tailored to meet that need and overcome barriers that men face in accessing appropriate treatment.   

When you’re experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life.

https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool/