Supporting Men's Mental Health in the workplace

Over a third of men believe that they have had a diagnosable mental health condition.

Trigger warning – this article references suicide.

Most statistics indicate that over a third of men believe that they have had a diagnosable mental health condition. To investigate this statistic further the Priory carried out a survey of 1000 men in the UK. 

Their findings showed that 77% of the men surveyed have suffered with mental health symptoms. But 40% of those surveyed have never spoken to someone about their mental health. 29% of these have not done so because they are too embarrassed to speak about it, or they perceive there to be a negative stigma on the issue (20%) and 40% of those surveyed said it would take thoughts of suicide or self-harm for them to seek help.

With men 3 times more likely to commit suicide than women and working aged men between 40 and 49 most at risk, more needs to be done to support men here and to encourage them to have the conversations with their loved ones and General Practitioners / other medical practitioners.

Mental health is high on most businesses' wellbeing agendas and so we need to make sure we are doing our best to support men.

Why don’t men talk about their mental health?

Whilst some men are good at speaking about their mental health (or health in general), according to the Mental Health Foundation, only 36% of talking therapy referrals are for men. 

For most men, traditional gender roles and stereotypes play a role here, which is damaging to men accessing support. Men have traditionally expected to be the breadwinner and to be strong and in control, whilst we are moving away from this; this traditional view is what makes it harder for men to feel comfortable sharing their feelings and opening up and asking for help.

They are also less likely to make appointments to see their doctor or to discuss how they feel with their friends or family.

What can businesses do to help?

Men experiencing mental health conditions or symptoms tend to utilise more harmful coping mechanisms such as drugs or alcohol and are often angrier and exhibit more risk-taking behaviours. Educating your line managers on the kinds of changes to behaviour that they should be alert to, giving them the tools and the training to raise their concerns and support their team members will help raise awareness. 

Your line managers then need to be equipped to have a conversation and ask them to open up without judgement and to give them a safe space to do so. You could consider setting up a men’s health forum.

Reaching out to check in with the individual will help to support them, make them realise they are not alone and possibly open the door to a conversation – it is important to reach out several times offering support as it is likely that the first response will be ‘I’m fine.’

Make sure that they are signposted to where they can access support.

Offer a variety of mental health support services across different mediums to appeal to a broader spectrum of men with different access routes. Chat functionality or online/app-based support is easier for men to access as it does not involve reaching out to an individual and talking about how they are feeling.

Providing all employees with educational materials or awareness sessions will help to raise broader awareness of mental health and creating an open culture where men (and women) are empowered to speak out about their experiences.

Work to normalise the conversation in your company – find men that are willing to talk about their experiences and share them more widely. Run an event, or workshops where a Senior Leader from the business talks about their experience as it shows a real commitment from the business and really embeds openness as a company value. It is so important that we look to make men comfortable talking to health professionals about this important topic.
And finally, review your mental health strategy – is it all inclusive and does it have a focus on male mental health? If not, please reach out as we can support you with implementing a strategy that supports your full population and not just those that are more likely to reach out for help.

https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/40-of-men-wont-talk-to-anyone-about-their-mental-health