Voice Out for Better Mental Health

Guys, what do you do when feeling down? How do you manage stress in your daily life? Will you turn to your family or friends for that pair of listening ears?

Traditionally men are expected to be tough and strong, but the fact is that when it comes to mental health, men may need as much support as their female counterparts do. Data by the Department of Health revealed that there were 665 suicide deaths in men compared to 388 suicide deaths in women in 2004.

It is thus obvious that men need to take care of their mental health as much as women have to. Talking to someone who cares is beneficial to your mental health. It is a good way to release mental stress and helps you out of depression. On the contrary, failure to deal with stress and depressive mood properly may

• have negative effects on your mental and physical health
• make life more difficult for yourself as well as your family and friends
• put yourself at risk of self-harm behaviour

However, when compared to women, men in general are not making good use of this valuable and readily available channel of talking to others. According to studies by the Department of Health:

• About 23% of men claimed that they did not need help from others for emotional support
• Only 2.8% of men would choose to reduce stress through talking to somebody

Understanding the barriers which prevent us from making good use of voicing out will make it easier for us to overcome such barriers.
Societal barriers

• Traditional societal demands that men be tough, independent and unemotional
• Seeking help in any form, such as talking to someone, is seen as being weak and in conflict with the traditional macho image

Personal barriers

• Ignorance - men often do not recognize their own emotions and do not realize certain symptoms such as headache, chronic pain may be indicative of a mental health problem such as depression
• Denial - men are more reluctant to admit that they have health problems, including emotional or mental health problems
• Self-containment and isolation - men are less likely to talk about their own emotions
• Fear - afraid of losing respect from family and friends, and afraid of affecting their job prospect or losing their hard-earned social status

We sincerely urge you to overcome such barriers and take the important step of talking to others when in need. In doing so, please remember:

• You are not alone - many other men also have emotional problems
• Talking to others about your problems is not a sign of weakness, but rather a responsible act
• Talking to persons you trust can
  • help release your mental stress
  • help you out of depression
  • enable you to look at things from another perspective
  • empower you to solve problems
  • enable those around you such as your family or friends to realize that you may need further help

Apart from talking to family or friends, you may also choose to get help from health professionals such as your family doctor or a counselor, or other support groups.

Remember, sharing with those who care about you very often makes things easier to manage. So guys, voice out for better mental health.

For further information on mental health, you may wish to visit the "Men's Mind" section of this website.

(Last Updated on 11-05-2007)