by Ernest Sultana
The individuals advocating the Movember movement are an example of many social reactions, and cultural shifts towards improving the status quo of men’s health. People have realised that the issues behind suicide are incredibly complex, involving societal, psychological and cultural factors.
One of the missions to decrease suicide rates among men is by ‘improving overall mental health and helping men establish better social connections. This is attempted by uniting experts and individuals to advocate and fund bold initiatives that help tackle the issue, by decreasing the stigma that surrounds men’s mental health.
The significant impact in initiatives and campaigns that help to decrease stigma can be seen in the detailed statistics. For example, a UK influencer campaign which involved partnering up with high-profile Youtubers in 2022 amidst the pandemic at the time, shows a 28% increase of young men having more meaningful conversations with their friends. It was found after these individuals were exposed to content from the Youtubers which demonstrated the importance of talking openly about mental health. This is proof of how even small targeted campaigns can make significant and positive behavioural changes.
Another campaign that delved into the mental health sector was called ‘Ahead of the game’. Over 60,000 mental health fitness workshops were delivered from 2021 to 2022 in various territories around the UK. These workshops have been proven to increase mental health literacy and boost resilience in adolescent athletes. Individuals in these workshops were encouraged to look after their own mental health and also that of others. The campaign helped to make people more aware of the complexities behind mental health, especially to those who are not involved in the sector, further decreasing stigmas surrounding it.
With the spreading of awareness on the importance of men’s mental health, men can now more than ever break the traditional stereotypes and ignore the stigma behind talking openly about their feelings and how they need support. For this reason, men are able to effectively restore themselves and avoid a tragic downfall. This will not only change individual lives.