The facts about men’s mental health: No.4 Home Alone
It’s the weekend, a time when separation from family can feel as sharp and as dull as it’s ever going to be.
The house is empty, it’s not your week for having the kids, maybe it never was your week.
As we continue an exploration of men’s mental health in the Know Your Man Facts series ahead of International Men’s Day on November 19 and the key issues that compromise our wellbeing, relationships rank high for both enhancing and stripping away our equilibrium.
For example, we know that separated men are 6 x more likely to be depressed than men who are in a relationship.
According to the World Health Organisation, involved dads “live longer, have less physical and mental health problems, are less likely to consume alcohol and drugs, are more productive at work, have fewer accidents, are more likely to be satisfied with their lives and are more emotionally connected to their partners.”
Separation and divorce are among the toughest life experiences people can face.
Men report a huge range of intense reactions and feelings during and after separation such as:
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Frustration
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Powerlessness
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Anger
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Desperation
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Denial
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Loneliness
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Sadness
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Bewilderment
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Hurt
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Relief
“These feelings can lead to difficulties such as loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, and withdrawal from social networks, family or work commitments," say Mensline Australia.
“While painful and distressing, such responses are normal and with time these will lessen. A new ‘normal’ will settle in, where it will be possible to continue on living a fulfilling and happy life.”
There are around one million children living in separated families in Australia. At least 80% of these children live mostly with their mums and 50% spend little or no time with their dads.
“We also know that half of separated dads experience thoughts of suicidality post separation and more than 10 male suicides a week are linked to relationship separation,” says the CEO of Parents Beyond Breakup, Pete Nicholls.
Read: Separated dads left out of Men’s Health Strategy (AMHF)
Along with seeking support during a breakup MensLine encourages men to try and maintain regular routines with eating and sleeping. Other tips include:
- Staying in touch with family and friends
- Exercising regularly
- Avoiding excessive use of alcohol and other drugs (including cigarettes)
Additional support
Mensline Australia - 1300 78 99 78
Parents Beyond Breakup have a dedicated service called Dads in Distress, where men can get ‘100% free, confidential and dad-friendly’ support.
Dads In Distress Helpline – 1300 853 437. They also offer online and in-person peer-support meetings.
Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277
Know Your Man Facts
The Australian Men’s Health Forum developed the Know Your Man Facts campaign on Men’s Mental Health to bring more awareness to key issues about men’s mental health.
In a tailor-made presentation for International Men’s Day 2021, KYMF looks at some of the actions you can take to stay mentally healthy, how you can help others and maybe even save someone’s life.
Also in this series:
Read: The facts about men’s mental health: No.2: Out of Order
Read: The facts about men’s mental health: No.3 Men at Work
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.