Mens Mental Health
Across our communities, our workplaces and our schools – even within our homes – there is a silent crisis. The mental health challenges facing men.
As the Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton North and having spoken to numerous constituents about their own mental health, I feel a real sense of urgency – to make sure that mental wellbeing isn’t a privilege but a right.
We know that, broadly, the public’s awareness of mental health is far more developed than it was even a couple of decades ago. Yet men still feel a real sense of stigma when it comes to their readiness to seek support.
So, for the last two years, I have been listening.
I held a constituency-wide survey of local men, and I convened local leaders in the mental health service provision from both the public and voluntary sectors.
As a result, I have produced this report which I have shared with Government Ministers as I push for better services for our local residents.
It is informed by local voices, and the local organisations that support them.
Summary and Conclusions
The roundtable was a snapshot of the incredible work being carried out by some fantastic local organisations. Each are making a critical difference in the lives of men across Heywood and Middleton North, and Rochdale more broadly.
These charities, third sector bodies and volunteer organisations deserve not only our thanks, but the unrelenting focus of politicians and government ministers alike.
Based on these conversations, I aim to take the following issues forward as your Member of Parliament:
We must meet men where they are and provide support for services that proactively reach out and engage with men.
No one-size-fits-all approach will work.
However small, our community organisations can do more, and must be included in shaping services that are deisgned to reach their users.
GPs are an important first step in treatment, but they need better information about, and connections with, local organisations and services.
Better co-ordination can reduce the number of incorrect referrals, and the experience of men bouncing around the system having to endlessly repeat themselves.
Funding must be more sustainable, providing more core funding rather than project funding. Strategic funding of the voluntary sector from the local ICB could have a transformational impact on provision.
Deprivation and poverty need to be considered when planning mental health services in NHS strategies, given the strong link between them.
Proactive & preventative treatment and care needs to be prioritised, moving away from services that only operate when a crisis occurs. Building resilience is good for individuals and services alike, making an impact on health inequality.
Finally, if you have thoughts on this issue, there is a Government Consultation open until July 10th.
Please contribute here: https://consultations.dhsc.gov.uk/informing-the-mental-health-strategy-for-england