Why do we need to shout about men’s mental health?

In case you missed it, last week was Men’s Health Week.

What a great opportunity it was to get men talking about their mental health and to let them know that people are there, will listen and will offer support.

The statistics around men’s mental health are staggering.

According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2019, there were 5,691 suicides registered in England and Wales, and around three quarters of those were among men (4,303 deaths).

The ONS goes on to say that figures show that “Males aged 45 to 49 years had the highest age-specific suicide rate (25.5 deaths per 100,000 males)”.

The fact that these figures are so high is why we should have the national awareness week – but mental health issues don’t stop just because we’ve had a week to highlight the problem.

There are many internal and external factors as to why mental health issues exist, but the workplace is definitely one such place where we can all help.

The environment and culture must be productive and not lose sight of the purpose of a business, but it must also be a place that supports and encourages.

After all, businesses are about people and without people at their best, a business will, ultimately, fail.

It might be that a lack of skills is leading to a lack of confidence, or that unnecessarily-heavy workloads are causing anxiety and frustration. Without being aware of the issues, we may not actually be helping people.

There are things businesses can be doing. From training and assessments, to coaching and effectiveness awareness, to managing remote working, self-awareness, and workplace behaviours, business can support men – and others who work for them.

One of the key things a business should be doing is having the conversation and finding out what people need.

Optima UK has a range of training and development programmes available to help people. Take a look at Optima UK for more information. If you want specific advice about your workplace requirements, contact Rachel Nott via email using rachel.nott@optima.streamstudio2.co.uk or call her on 0116 303 3591.