The Men’s Health Forum (England) has published an important series of recommendations on the mental health of men as part of its contribution to Men’s Health Week this month.
The document Mind Your Head looks at men’s mental health and well-being across six areas and draws a number of conclusions which it suggest should underpin policy in this area. David Wilkins, the MHF’s policy officer said: ‘On the face of it, women are markedly more likely to suffer from a mental disorder. An examination of some of the broader indicators of mental distress however, suggests that many men who may have no formal diagnosis of a mental health problem may nevertheless, be struggling to cope. For example, men are far more likely to become alcohol dependent, to misuse drugs and to go missing from home. Men are also far more likely to take their own lives.’
There is a growing international interest in the idea that the conditions for greater happiness - or ‘mental well-being’ - at both population and individual levels can be deliberately created. Some commentators have even argued that happiness, rather than economic growth, should be the driving objective of all government policy. Mind your Head is the first paper to examine this idea in relation to gender.
- Click here for more information from the MHF website and to download Mind Your Head.
