Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 23
Encouragingly, AIFS said that over 80%
of men who had a mental illness
consulted their general practitioner.
However, despite the high GP access
figures, AIFS states that only 40%
sought help from a mental health
specialist post their GP visit. Why? There
are many reasons, but a major driver
behind men feeling uncomfortable with
reaching out is stigmatisation.
How do stigmas take hold?
Before we explore the best way to speak
with the men in our lives about mental
health, we need to understand the
stigmas that can hold men back. For
years, the mantra 8Boys don9t cry9, 8Be a
man9 or 8Man up9 created a negative
perception of seeking help. As a result,
toxic masculinity got in the way of men
receiving the support they needed,
allowing their mental illness to fester.
By making men9s health a topic of
conversation, more men may feel
comfortable getting help and may feel
less stigmatised. Reassuringly, more men
have been urged to speak up about their
feelings by someone in their close circle
– 96%, in fact, according to RACV.
Nonetheless, more must be done to
encourage mental health conversations,
and you can be sure we have the
formula. Below is one great way you can
hold a conversation about mental health
with your male loved ones.
Sideways conversations: Discussing
mental health in a less pressurised
environment
At Converge, we have many expert
specialists with years of experience in
mental health and wellbeing. One of
those experts is James Sclater, our
National Learning Solutions Manager
and registered psychologist. During a
recent sit-down chat for our newest
episode of the Thrive Podcast, he
explained that sideways conversations
can be a great way to discuss mental
health, reduce inherent pressure, and
break down barriers.
