Health horizons

Developing men’s mental health support that delivers

Early intervention and workplace support for men who are experiencing poor mental health can be life-saving.

The high rate of suicide among men is a tragic testimony to the fact that far too many men don’t share their distress, or ask for help, when they are struggling.

Alice Hendy MBE, founder and CEO of R;pple Suicide Prevention charity says, “Having lost my own brother to suicide, I know how important it is to ensure that everyone can access care and support when they need it.

“We must also address the slew of harmful online content that is easily accessible online and provide positive nudges to remind everyone that there is a wide range of support out there if they are struggling.”

Early intervention can prevent issues escalating and becoming more serious, but men are often reluctant to acknowledge they are struggling and seek help.

The latest NHS data shows that women account for 66.5% of referrals for the Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression programme (TTAD), and this gender gap is even higher for men of Black, Asian or mixed heritage. ¹

A study which looked at the experiences of men with depression identified four key barriers to seeking help: ²

Their own attitudes and beliefs around depression
Their perception of the way society generally viewed depression
Experiences within their own family
Previous experiences with mental health services.

Stigma

It concluded, “Interventions to reduce the stigma of being ‘unmanly’ and to improve men's capacity to cope with being unable to work should be developed.”

This echoes a systematic review which warned, “Men are thought to be deterred from engaging in mental health services due to socialisation into traditional masculine gender roles. ³

“Traits associated with traditional masculinity include stereotypes of stoicism, invulnerability, and self-reliance, which are frequently discussed as they do not fit comfortably with psychological help-seeking.”

Changing attitudes

These attitudes are changing, in part due to celebrities and men in leadership positions talking about their own mental health challenges. ⁴

When high profile men such as the actor Stephen Fry, ⁵ cricketer Ben Stokes ⁶ and Bernard Looney, ⁷ the CEO of BP’s upstream division, speak openly about their own, or a family member’s, experience of depression, they provide a positive role model which encourages other men to speak up.

The business benefits of encouraging these conversations are undeniable. Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development reveals that mental ill health is a leading cause of days off due to illness.

Two-thirds of employers (63%) say poor mental health accounts for most staff sickness longer than four weeks — ahead of musculoskeletal injuries (51%) and acute medical conditions such as cancer, heart attack and stroke (46%). ⁸

Stress

And these figures don’t include time off due to stress, which was the main reason for long-term absence in 37% of businesses and for short-term absence in 26%.

There is no doubt that workplace programmes are an effective way to support employee health and wellbeing.

A Government consultation on access to occupational health services underlined the business benefits which included “early identification and treatment of conditions, improved staff retention, prioritisation of staff welfare, reduced levels of burnout, increased motivation and productivity, as well as a competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting talent”. ⁹

Dr Naveen Puri, Medical Director, Bupa UK Insurance, says, “The key is to provide targeted support that resonates with your workforce and tailoring support to address the specific needs and engagement preferences of your male employees.”

Support

So, how can can organisations support men’s physical and mental health?

Acknowledge stereotypes: Turn a challenge into an opportunity by providing and signposting support that speaks directly to men, such as the Men’s Shed movement¹⁰ and Movember. ¹¹

Leverage insights: Identify the specific needs of male employees and harness the science of behavioural insights to develop engagement campaigns that find the right time and place to target hard-to-reach employees.

For instance, men are more likely to work night shifts ¹² and they are over-represented in industries such as transport, which are not workplace-based. ¹³ Bupa’s Behavioural Insights team can help you develop bespoke engagement that delivers.

Encourage positive conversations: Need A Lift? — new Bupa content with Martin Kemp provides light-hearted content and empathetic support which talks directly to the ‘sandwich generation’ of men aged 30 to 50.

Positive role models: When executives lead by example, and speak of their own experiences, it creates a culture which encourages positive conversations.

Regular reviews: CIPD research shows that organisations which rigorously evaluate their health and wellbeing programmes are much more likely to report positive outcomes. ¹⁴

Create supportive networks: Many organisations have trained mental health first aiders, but do they mirror your workforce demographics? Studies show that peer-led men-only groups may increase participants' self-esteem and assist in disclosing weaknesses. ¹⁵

Up-skill line-managers: A study by researchers at Nottingham University found that mental health training for line-managers led to a significant reduction in long-term absence due to mental ill health. ¹⁶

Utilise the Bupa Academy and our other resources and tools to equip line-managers to provide effective, evidence-based support.