The facts about men’s mental health: No.2: Out of order
1 in 2 men will have a diagnosable mental health disorder like depression or anxiety in their lifetime.
In our first article in the Know Your Man Facts series for International Men’s Day on November 19, we discussed the cold facts about male suicide, noting that 7 Aussie men a day will die by suicide.
Suicidality is feeling suicidal, or thinking or acting in a suicidal way, for example planning or attempting suicide.
A mood disorder refers to conditions like depression or bipolar disorder. Anxiety disorders include panic disorders, agoraphobia, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress.
Substance use disorders include the harmful use of alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, sedatives and opioids.
Did you know that:
- 1 in 3 men will have a substance abuse disorder
- 1 in 5 men will have an anxiety disorder
- 1 in 8 men will have a mood disorder
- 1 in 9 men will experience suicidality
Some of the signs and symptoms that you might have a mental health issue include:
It is common for people to experience at least one of these symptoms at some point in their lives, and it doesn’t mean they have a mental health issue.
But it bears investigating. The more of these symptoms you have at any one time, the more likely it is that you may be dealing with a mental health issue.
If you think you, or someone you know, has a mental health condition, see your GP for a referral to a mental health professional.
They may be a psychologist, psychiatrist, mental health nurse, social worker, peer worker, occupational therapist and mental health recovery and rehabilitation worker. Peer workers are trained mental health professionals who have experienced, and recovered from, mental health problems.
There are also Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health specialists who understand the mental health issues of Aboriginal people.
VIEW: Black Dog Institute social and emotional wellbeing resources for First Nations People
The Government has developed an online resource identifying the services available for various mental health issues. Find out more at Head To Health.
Services tailored specifically to men include:
VIEW MORE SERVICES RECOMMENDED BY MOVEMBER
If you would like to learn more about this topic and give a Know Your Man Facts presentation on men’s mental health, please email your request to [email protected]
You can access all other resources to share across your networks here.