SURREY/SUSSEX: PHE celebrates the men sharing the tools to restore their mental health this International Men's Day

Sailing a boat, restoring a vintage car and even constructing exhibits for a D-Day museum – these are just some of the community projects being organised across the South East to target isolation and loneliness among men.

To mark International Men’s Day on Sunday (19 November) PHE South East is raising awareness of men’s mental health issues and celebrating some of the inspiring initiatives designed to support men.

Eight million men in the UK feel lonely at least once a week and loneliness is a daily occurrence for around one in ten men. according to a recent study from the Royal Voluntary Service.  Men who are, or have been lonely, say it makes them feel isolated (39 per cent), depressed (35 per cent) and less confident (27 per cent). The average age to feel most lonely was 35 and the age range with the highest suicide rate is 35-44 (according to ONS data in the Samaritans report ‘Men and Suicide - Why it’s a social issue’).

Figures for 2014-16 show that in East Sussex a rate of 19.6 per 100,000 men chose to end their life, as opposed to 6.5 per 100,000 women, while in West Sussex this rate was 15.4 men but 4.3 women, and in Surrey it was 12.4 men but 4.8 women. And in Brighton & Hove the rate among men was 20.1 compared to 8.9 among women.

As awareness of issues around men’s mental health has grown, so has the number of localised groups which offer ways of supporting individuals who may be struggling and may be having thoughts of self-harm or suicide. This includes the International Men’s Sheds movement, which aims to tackle issues such as loneliness, social isolation and mental health problems.

Terry Blair-Stevens, Health and Wellbeing lead for PHE South East lead, said: 

“Many men in this country find it difficult to forge friendships outside of work and family which can lead to feelings of isolation or even depression, especially once they have retired or been widowed. Some of us just don’t seem to have the emotional tools which many women have to talk about their feelings, or be able to reach out for the social links they need.

“As these stark statistics about suicide show, this can have very troubling consequences.

“The good news is that as awareness of these issues grows, and so the stigma about men’s mental health issues lessens, we are seeing more and more grass-roots projects offering solutions which we want to celebrate and share.

“We at PHE want to see men living lives free from the constraints of poor mental health, which is why this International Men’s Day we want to shine a spotlight on the issues, and flag the positives schemes providing support to men.

 “The fantastic work going on through Men’s Sheds Association, which is based on the premise that men find it easier to bond shoulder-to-shoulder over an activity, is a shining example of this.”

Men’s Shed Horsham in West Sussex, like many others around the region, brings men of all ages and backgrounds together in a larger version of the typical man's garden shed. There they can pursue hobbies like carpentry, metal work, gardening, tinkering with engines or even photography or art.

Ben Pickstock, chairman of the Men’s Shed Horsham, said:

“The shed is a lifeline for many of the men who come to us.

“Some of those who come along are at a very low ebb struggling with issues such as depression while others are simply lonely following the death of long-time partners or adjusting to retirement after a life of work.

“The shed is a wonderful sanctuary where men find new life and purpose. I have seen guys come to us as shadows of the men they used to be but when you put a hammer into their hands and get them alongside some other guys then it’s like a light goes on inside – they suddenly shine.”

Public Health England has identified preventing mental health problems and improving the lives of people living with and recovering from mental illness as a priority in the NHS’s Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.  We are working with the NHS and other partners to adopt more effective arrangements in local areas for better mental health and are committed to achieving a fairer and more equitable society where people have an equal standard of care irrespective of whether they have physical or mental health problems.

Preventing mental illness and achieving better mental health and wellbeing for men, women and children in all walks of life requires close cooperation across public services and communities to share resources and work together. We in Public Health England are helping to drive an increase in schemes that will improve the mental health of people in our society through our Prevention Concordat for Mental Health.