Men’s Health
Men’s health is a national concern. Office for National Statistics (2023) figures show that men die nearly four years earlier than women with a number of physical and mental health conditions disproportionately affecting them. This includes some cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. They are also more likely to die by suicide – with four out of every five suicides by men.
Reducing Inequalities In Men’s Health is an important priority in ensuring that health and wellbeing leads, managers, and employees can take collective responsibility, targeting initiatives to support the physical and mental well-being of men working across health and social care.
Setting up a safe space for men to feel comfortable with sharing personal issues can help with continuity of discussions around men’s health, breaking any stigmas fostering building of trust, which is known to develop slower in men, especially in those part of marginalised groups.
Initiatives focused on men’s health:
ANDYSMANCLUB are a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online.
Men’s Sheds are community spaces for men to connect, converse and create. The activities are often similar to those of garden sheds, but for groups of men to enjoy together (many Sheds also have women members too). They help reduce loneliness and isolation, but most importantly, they’re fun.
Developed by mental health experts and funded by Movember, Movember Conversations is an online tool for those who want to feel more confident and informed when navigating an important conversation with a man in their life who might be struggling.
This handbook provides a set of principles for wellbeing initiatives for men.
