Salford men are to be invited to open up about mental health – good, bad, or could be better – as Men’s Health Week gets under way (Monday 12 June to Sunday 18 June).
Healthwatch Salford and Salford City Council have announced plans to launch a Salford Men’s Mental Health Commission to ask men across the city for their views on their state of mind, support available, and how matters could be improved.
Men from a wide range of backgrounds will be invited to take part in the commission, which will then design and run a survey asking men in Salford for their views on mental health priorities, local services, and support networks.
Similar to the Women and Girls Commission which ran for a year, the Men’s Mental Health Commission will use its research and findings to make recommendations for health, care, voluntary, and other organisations which provide and commission mental health services to consider.
Sam Cook Chief Officer, Healthwatch said: “Feedback from our Mind over Matter project, looking at why people don’t seek help when their mental health first starts to decline, showed that more than half of the men who took part had experienced anxiety, depression, worry about jobs or money, and were unable to sleep. Some attributed that to concerns about the cost of living.
“Many felt lonely and less interested in things they used to enjoy doing and several felt they were drinking too much alcohol or using drugs to help them cope.
“Some sought help from the NHS, some from family and friends, but many said they didn’t need to. Some thought things would get better in time, others felt they would be judged negatively or didn’t want anyone to know they were struggling. Some didn’t know where to look for support and we talked about the challenges of finding the right support, waiting times and services which take different cultural backgrounds into account.”
She added: “Over half the men felt society is becoming more accepting with regards to mental health but some disagreed. We want everyone to feel Salford is a place where mental and physical health are regarded as the same issue. After all no-one judges you if you get a cold or break your leg so why should people who are anxious or depressed be treated any differently? The Men’s Mental Health Commission is a huge step forward to making that happen.”
Executive Support Member for Culture, Communication and Strategic Priorities Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, who is chairing the commission, said the council was pleased to partner with Healthwatch Salford on this initiative.
“Poor mental health takes a huge toll on people’s lives, friends and families, employment prospects, health and wellbeing but there is help and support out there. Too many men are suffering in silence or not seeking the help that is available in our city in the same numbers as their female counterparts; this is a chance to start a conversation with men, hear their views on what they’re going through, what help they need, and work with them to improve understanding and support,” she said.
“We will co-produce this work with men with lived experience in our city to understand what they really need and what more can be done and we will provide clear recommendations to mental health services and agencies to ensure we are continually improving the offer in our city in relation to this important topic.”
Healthwatch Salford will run three pop up events in July where men who are interested in joining the Commission can find out more. They are looking for at least 15 men from a wide range of backgrounds, ages and cultures to take part in this first stage of the process. For more information visit the Healthwatch Salford website or call them on 0161 960 0316.
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- Date published
- Thursday 15 June 2023