Mental Health: It's a male issue too
The British Journal of Psychiatry has revealed that men are increasingly susceptible to mental health problems.
Jamie Patterson, psychotherapist at Abermed, notes an increased media emphasis on the mental health of the modern man but calls for employers to follow suit.
Jamie, who boasts 13 years of experience in the mental health sector, said: "Depression is predicted to be the world's second biggest health problem by 2020. Although certain common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are more prevalent in the female population, men have higher suicide rates and form a sizeable proportion of those experiencing mental health difficulties. Now, men are more likely to make use of talking therapy services. Almost two thirds of my referrals are males."
The Counselling Directory supports this. In recent research, more than half of the counsellors surveyed had witnessed an increase in male clients over the past year. Jamie continues: "Underlying life stage issues can also be a trigger. Career-related stress and family break-ups are increasingly common for today's young men. Work cultures have changed too. We're more mobile now and people are commonly relocated to different jobs. Losing touch with your social support network and finding yourself alone is common.
"As children, boys are generally conditioned to be tough. As they grow into men, they are expected to be the strong backbone of the household: the main breadwinner and nurturing father. But now, society is beginning to grant men with the 'right' to confront emotional issues. Young men tend to be more aware of, and comfortable with, their emotions than their fathers and grandfathers.
"Modern culture has led this. Depression is more publically acknowledged in the media, and not just by women. Men now have their own magazines with health sections and problem pages. Soap storylines have impacted too. One in five Brits has visited a doctor because of medical storylines on television. Mental health of males was largely untouched in the soap world until Coronation Street character Joe McIntyre confessed his depression last March.
"Employers have helped too: many of my clients are assigned to me at the request of their workplace. However, this isn't yet commonplace. Far more could be done. Depression costs the UK £9 billion in earnings each year and more in hidden costs, such as loss of talent. Mental health remains taboo in the corporate world and many employers confess to avoiding hiring staff with a record of mental health issues. Business leaders must conquer the taboo of male depression in the workplace if our modern males are to maintain their mental health in all areas of life. Mental health is the source of all we value."
