Stigma continues to exists around men’s mental health, and sadly men can still feel uncomfortable discussing problems openly.
This is highlighted in current statistics: for example, in the UK, 3 out of 4 suicides are men. Furthermore, suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45. These statistics underline the importance of removing the stigma surrounding men’s mental health, helping men reach out, talk about their problems and seek treatment.
At GC we want to normalise the conversations around men's mental health – and help colleagues make the time to educate themselves and make informed choices about what they can do make changes in their lives – both at work and at home to support and protect their mental health.
To mark International Men’s Day (Sunday 19th November), we’ve organised a Let’s Talk Men’s Mental Fitness virtual bitesize session on Wednesday 15th November 2023 1-2pm to highlight the support available through Andy’s Man Club.
Mark Hughes, GC group Chief Executive will be opening-up the session, and handing over to a representative from Andy’s Man Club who’ll will be running the main part of the session. Mark will also take part in the Q&A towards the end of the session and will share his reflections.
Andy’s Man Club is a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. Further details and the diary invite for the event will be published to colleagues' inboxes. Here's a short video showcasing some of the members of Andy's Man Club. You can also help raise funds for Andy's man Club here.
Look out for new plus blog posts coming soon to this page, from colleagues who have kindly agreed to share their mental health journeys to help both support and inspire others.
In the meantime, check out the blog posts which are already available on our Men's Mental Health Page on Our Working Way and the video below from last year where of a few of our colleagues from across GC talked about what mental health means to them and what steps they take to stay mentally well:
