November has come back round quickly and the chill of winter is really starting to creep in. You might start to see some of your male friends and peers sporting a strong moustache this month. This isn’t just for extra warmth to combat the cold, rather they have proudly joined the Movember movement.

First established 20 years ago, Movember is a global charity movement tackling a host of men’s health issues. Movember raises money and awareness not only to combat testicular and prostate cancers, but also for mental health issues and suicide prevention:

• 74% of UK suicides are by men (ONS, 2021)

• On average, one man dies every minute by suicide (Movember)

• Men of age 40-49 have the UK’s highest suicide rates (MHFA England)

• 34% of men would be ashamed or embarrassed to take time off work for a mental health concern, compared to just 13% for a physical health concern (Men's Health Forum)

Gender disparities around mental health

The Movember movement aims to ignite global efforts to safeguard and improve mental health. Looking at mental health through a male lens, Movember in particular draws our attention to the disparities between genders around mental health:

• Men are 3x more likely to become dependent on alcohol (NHS Digital)

• 72% of drug-related deaths are of men (NHS Digital)

• Fewer men access psychological therapies, representing only 36% of referrals to IAPT (Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies)

Tearing down notions of traditional masculinity

Driven by notions of traditional masculinity, men’s reluctance to openly discuss mental health issues and to take action leads to higher drug use and lower therapy access rates. The Movember movement empowers men to challenge and break down such toxic notions of traditional masculinity.

In raising awareness of men’s mental health and encouraging conversations around these issues inside and outside the workplace, the Movember movement is crucially helping to reduce the stigma around mental health issues in men. Men can know that they are not weak if they experience physical and/or mental health problems; it is in fact a great display of strength to speak up and take action.

With a focus therefore not just on intervention, but prevention, the Movember movement aims to build better mental health rather than merely tackle illness.

Continuing conversations

Movember isn’t just about seeing how thick you can grow your moustache over 30 days, while men’s mental health issues certainly do not disappear come December 1st. As individuals, we can all help to build better mental health for ourselves and for others.

Men:

• Speak to a colleague, friend, or family member if you are suffering from mental health issues – this alone can feel like lifting a huge weight off your shoulders

• Seek professional help if you struggle to control your mental health issues – this is OK and can be of immeasurable help

All readers:

• Check in on your family, friends and colleagues – while they may look themselves from the outside, they may conceal issues inside. Even a text or phone call can make the world of difference in relieving their pain

• Take action to help your own mental health: from engagement in self-care to random acts of kindness for others, you can build healthier habits and a happier outlook on life

Building better mental health in the workplace

Your workplace may already be gearing up to take part in some Movember’s fantastic initiatives this month, from wellbeing webinars to moustache fundraisers to the ‘Move for Mental Health’ challenge, whereby participants have to run or walk 60km in the month of November, in memory of the 60 men who take their own lives globally, every hour.

And this is such a fantastic start in raising awareness for men’s health. Such initiatives are extremely beneficial in sparking the right conversations, and particularly in empowering male employees to think about and act on their mental health inside and outside the workplace.

However, these conversations must continue beyond the month of November.

And as businesses we must increase efforts in the right areas to safeguard and improve the mental health of our employees:

• Create an inclusive, safe working environment that fosters and facilitates conversation and collaboration around mental health issues (across all levels of the organisation)

• Give employees and managers the vital life skills to look after their and others’ mental fitness

Don’t hesitate to book a demo to find out how we can help you to build better mental health in the workplace. And read more on the Movember movement and their global efforts around suicide prevention and mental health issues.