When it comes to mental health statistics, it’s hard to know if the figures are representative of the true picture, especially as the data only tells us about mental health problems that have been reported, and not the cases that remain unrecognised. This may be particularly true when it comes to men’s mental health.
Information shared by the Mental Health Foundation offers a deeper understanding of the landscape of men’s mental health:
What Does the Data Say?
- Three times as many men than women die by suicide
- Men aged 40 to 49 have the highest suicide rates in the UK
- Men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women: only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men
- Men are far more likely than women to go missing, sleep rough, become dependent on alcohol and use drugs Find out more about how mental health problems affect men and women differently.
- Additionally, Movember report that Men will die on average 4.5 years earlier than women and for reasons that are largely preventable.
Barriers That Prevent Men From Seeking Support
We know from the research that men are less likely than women to present to health professionals, and the reasons for this are multi-factorial. The landscape of men’s health is complex. Cultural differences, stigma, discrimination, socio-economic disadvantage, and society’s perceived notion of masculinity and ‘norms’ are key factors and barriers that prevent men from seeking support in a timely manner.
The data also tells us that less frequent presentation to healthcare professionals is not synonymous with lower risk or fewer support needs. On the contrary, life expectancy for men remains lower, and according to the latest ONS figures, males still account for four out of five suicides.
Men’s Health Awareness Week and Pride Month
As well as Men’s Health Awareness Week, June marks the month of Pride, a time to bring representation to the issues that men face in terms of their emotional and mental wellbeing. As we continue to see, there is a real need for society to be more inclusive and intersectional when it comes to understanding the landscape of men’s health, and providing appropriate, timely and compassionate support. Let’s not forget to break down stigma around men’s mental health this Pride Month too (gaytimes.com)
Health of The Performing Arts Workforce
Research suggests that over 75% of performers will experience a career-impacting health issue at some point during their working life and that problems are often related to additional social and financial stressors brought about by the nature of freelancing and unpredictability of work. It does not appear to be the case that occupation-related health problems are less likely to affect men, but despite this, BAPAM receives significantly fewer enquires from men.
Some issues are more likely to affect men. For instance, male musicians experience the greatest incidence of focal dystonia. There are several types of dystonia, a condition which causes involuntary or unusual movements, and focal dystonia affects a single body part, usually the fingers or hands, or sometimes the mouth in wind and brass players. An estimated 1 to 2 percent of all professional musicians experience focal dystonia, and men are more likely to experience focal dystonia.
Free BAPAM Workshop: Men’s Health in the Performing Arts: Details Available Soon
Look out for our forthcoming workshop addressing key topics and issues relating to men’s health, including:
- The unique health issues within the performing arts workforce.
- Intersectional differences and barriers that can impact certain groups within the performing arts community from reaching out for support
- Healthy Practice: Tips/tools/advice
- How/Where/When to seek support
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