15th-21st June 2021
Men are often reluctant to seek help for stress and other health and mental health conditions, this leads to a degree of under recognized health disparity.
Men’s Health Week focuses on bringing awareness to health issues that affect men disproportionately, getting them to become aware of problems they may have or could develop, and that it is ok to talk about their health issues.
The theme for Men’s Health Week 2021 is:
MEN, MENTAL HEALTH AND COVID-19
The Men’s Health Forum stress that even before the pandemic men’s mental health has been a cause for concern – higher numbers of suicide, lower numbers seeking support for anxiety and depression, are just a few examples of the mental health challenges faced. Covid-19 has further influenced wellbeing, through the various lockdowns and insecurities of the last year, particularly in young people.
During the pandemic, boys and men across the lifespan have had to manage a multitude of factors that could impact their health and well-being – home-schooling, unemployment, remote working and lack of social interaction… Moreover, with men more likely to be in the sort of jobs that cannot easily be done from home, it could be argued that many male-dominated workforces are also at greater risk from Covid-19.
As we slowly emerge from what is hoped to be the worst of the pandemic, many questions and concerns still remain – How do we move forward?
A key to moving forward is to call on men to come forward and talk about their health; to accept help for coping with stress, mental health, and other physical health conditions.
Key recommendations to stay healthy include eating well, keeping active, quitting smoking, drinking plen
ty of water (but drinking alcohol sensibly), getting enough sleep, paying attention to mental health and keeping up with medical appointments as warranted.
