You'll have surely guessed the theme for Men's Health Week 2021. For 2020, It was 'Take Action on Covid-19'. The week ran from from 15-21 June. All the links and downloads are still available via the links.
For 2021, we'll be asking the question, when it comes to men, mental health and Covid-19, what next?
Men, mental health and Covid-19
Everybody's mental health has been challenged by the lockdowns and insecurities of the last year and it's not over. As we emerge from what we hope will be the worst of the pandemic, questions, concerns and anxieties remain. How do we move forward?
Even before the pandemic, men's mental health was a cause for concern. There is a grave disparity in the high number of men who die from suicide and the low number of men who seek treatment for depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges.
During the pandemic, children and young people have been disproportionately affected by lockdowns. There has also been a considerable rise in youth unemployment, while home-schooling has hit boys and young men at school and university, especially from BAME backgrounds.
Particular groups of male-dominated workforces have suffered disproportionately in terms of income and some (taxi drivers, for example) have received little support from government to compensate for this loss. Men are more likely to be in the sort of jobs that cannot easily be done from home with the result that many male-dominated workforces are also at greater risk from Covid-19.
We'll be looking to engage with:
- all men but especially younger men (and boys), men at work and men dealing with bereavement
- all the UK's parliaments and assemblies - Westminster, the Welsh Senedd and the Scottish Assembly will all be sitting during Men's Health Week this year. Yes, we need an enquiry into why the UK has one of poorest records internationally when it comes to preventing Covid deaths - but we also need action now. As with individuals, it's never too late for governments to take action on mental health. This is the ideal time to launch a men's health strategy.
Watch this space. Meanwhile, sign up below and follow the links for all 2020 materials.