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ABOUT MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

If you can change your mind, you can change your life.

William James

Having some knowledge about men’s mental health gives you a greater understanding of some of its challenges and may help to empower you to possibly go a bit easier on yourself and to take some action towards change.

The key to understanding men’s mental health is exploring the meaning of ‘masculinity’ or what it is to be a man. Equally, we need to consider the negative impact of shame in men’s lives, because overcoming shame is one of the most important areas in men’s mental health.

In this chapter, we will look at the issues affecting men’s mental health, and in the chapters that follow we will build on this information with many practical ideas and tools.

WHAT’S THE STORY WITH MENTAL HEALTH?

We often take our health for granted, but it is central to feeling good about ourselves, both physically and mentally. When you have the flu or a painful injury, you realize how important your physical health is. Equally, when you feel emotionally exhausted or down, you realize how important your mental health is to your sense of wellbeing.

According to the World Health Organization (2014): ‘mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.’1 It involves our emotions (feelings), thoughts and behaviours (actions).The Oxford Dictionary defines wellbeing as a state of being ‘comfortable, healthy or happy’. So, who doesn’t want more wellbeing?

Psychologist Abraham Maslow talked about a ‘hierarchy of needs’ and said that, for humans to reach their potential, they need to meet various needs. These needs range from basic needs (food, warmth, shelter and security), psychological needs (belonging, love and esteem), to self-fulfillment. We need to have our very basic needs met to be able to achieve the higher needs.

Maslow’s model leads into the idea that a range of factors influence health, and that maintaining your health and wellbeing needs a ‘whole person’ approach, focusing on all aspects of ‘you’, including: