Factsheets

Here you can find a range of factsheets to support and inform the activities you are planning for National Men's Health Week. They cover a broad range of subjects and issues, reflecting the nature of NMHW in focusing on men and mental wellbeing in the broadest sense.

Q uick links

General Men's Health Statistics

Please click on the link above for the latest men's health statistics from the MHF. The link contains the following information:

While clicking on the link below will take you to a summary of Men's Health Statistics, from April 2004:

Men's Health Summary

Please find a range of more recent (2006) men's health figures, from the Health of Men project below:

Men's Health Statistics — Gender, Ethnicity and Inequality

Men and Mental Wellbeing

The NMHW2006 Policy Document

By clicking on the link above, you will be taken to the NMHW2006 Policy Document - Mind Your Head. This is the central document at the heart of much of the activity of the week, and will form the core of our lobbying work around mental health, this week and into the future.

Relevant sections from our award-winning malehealth.co.uk website:

Malehealth - Midlife crisis

Malehealth - Stress

Malehealth - Emotional Health

Malehealth - Depression

Men Behaving Sadly

Depression is an illness that affects both men and women. But people working in mental health services see far fewer men with depression than women with depression. It seems likely that men suffer from depression just as often as women, but that they are less likely to ask for help. This leaflet from the Royal College of Psychiatrists gives some basic facts about depression in general - and how it affects men in particular.

Men's mental health

This excellent factsheet from MIND, is primarily aimed at students and professionals who work with men in mental distress. It may also be of interest to men who are in distress themselves, their friends, relatives and carers. This factsheet looks at how men experience mental distress, and the social and physical contexts of mental illness. It also examines the mental health of particular groups, including the young and the old, homosexual, black and minority ethnic communities.

Men and Eating Disorders

This informative document from the Eating Disorders Association (EDA) was produced in 2000, and can be downloaded by clicking on the link above. It focuses on the provision of treatment and services available for men, as well as including an overview of the situation relating to men and eating disorders.

4.7MB version

The cost of mental illness in England adds up to £77.4 billion, twice as high as was previously estimated, when quality of life is considered alongside the costs of care and lost work. This study calculates the economic and social costs, and demonstrates the benefits of reducing the prevalence and severity of mental illness.

Contact: a directory for mental health 2005

This publication contains information on mental health problems, including depression, anxiety states, eating disorders, psychosis schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder/manic-depressive illness, and dementia. Also includes information on seeking help and treatments, and provides a list of organisations specialising in this subject.

Mental health: strengthening mental health promotion

The positive dimension of mental health is stressed in WHO's definition of health as contained in its constitution: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." WHO's 191 member states have endorsed this sweeping statement.

Mental health problems: the undefined and hidden burden (WHO)

The undefined burden of mental problems refers to the economic and social burden for families, communities and countries. Although obviously substantial, this burden has not been efficiently measured. This is because of the lack of quantitative data and difficulties in measuring and evaluating. The hidden burden refers to the burden associated with stigma and violations of human rights and freedoms. Again, this burden is difficult to quantify. This is a major problem throughout the world, as many cases remain concealed and unreported.

Developing Nursing Resources for Mental Health

This factsheet was produced by the International Council of Nurses. The Nursing Matters fact sheets provide quick reference information and international perspectives from the nursing profession on current health and social issues.

Project Atlas

Project Atlas was launched by WHO in 2000 in an attempt to map mental health resources in the world. These data are needed at the country level to assess the current situation and to assist in developing plans and at the regional and global levels to develop an aggregate picture of the available mental health resources and the overall needs.

The following fact sheet is provided by the World Health Organization:

Strengthening Mental Health Promotion: Mental Health is Not Just the Absence of Mental Disorder

Men and Stress