We take a closer look at men’s mental health
Part 3 – what needs to be done?
The Priory suggest that learning as much as you can about depression symptoms in men can be a positive way to help. Educating people and raising awareness of the symptoms of depression in men would enable people to recognise that they – or someone they know – may be experiencing depression. This would help in symptom recognition and would essentially remove a barrier in accessing treatment.
Smith et al. (2018) suggest that an important area for further research involves understanding how to encourage men to seek treatment. In addition to this, it would be beneficial to address the impact of socialisation on clinicians whose unconscious internalisation of gender roles and expectations lead to particular diagnosis (Smith & Hemler, 2014).
Stiawa et al. (2020) conducted a qualitative study investigating mental health professionals’ views about the impact of male gender on the treatment of depression, and concluded that gender-specific services should be offered to improve mental health among men. The paper argues that the role of gender, and its implications on mental health treatment, should be an integral aspect of mental health professionals’ education and their implementation of treatment practices.
A survey found that 56% of employers wouldn’t hire someone with depression even if they were the best candidate for the job, and less than half of employees say they would feel able to talk openly if they were suffering from stress. This would indicate that an important area to focus on in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health is in the workplace.
What services are available?
- The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide by providing support and running campaigns such as #DontBottleItUp. They offer a free confidential helpline and webchat: https://www.thecalmzone.net/about-calm/what-is-calm/
- Mens Sheds Association help to reduce loneliness by providing community spaces for men to chat and engage in mutual hobbies such as gardening: https://menssheds.org.uk/
- Life Signs is a self-injury support charity providing information for men who self-harm: http://www.lifesigns.org.uk/male-si/
- Mens Health Forum have lots of advice and information for men who are struggling with a range of mental health problems: https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/beatstress.uk
- Man Health offers support to men in County Durham or Darlington who struggle with their mental health: https://www.manhealth.org.uk/
- Male VoicED is a charity which supports men with eating disorders
- Mankind runs a confidential support line for men experiencing domestic violence or abuse: https://www.mankind.org.uk/
Words by Abie Taylor-Kelly, our Manchester TMS Practitioner
Recently, our CEO, Gerard Barnes took part in an interview with Speak On about men’s mental health and gender roles. Watch the interview below.
Smart TMS Clinics
Smart TMS was established in 2015, providing TMS treatment at their original South Kensington centre in London. The company now has the UK’s biggest network of TMS treatment centres, spanning across England, Scotland and ireland. Smart TMS is committed to further expansion in order to make the treatment available in more cities, reaching patients who need an alternative treatment option for their conditions.
Contact Us
For any other queries or for patients wishing to book an appointment at one of our UK clinics, please contact us:
- Tel: 0345 222 5678
- Email: info@smarttms.co.uk