How the humble Mo is helping to change the face of men's mental health
Article by the Movember Foundation
Article by the As the men around the nation ready their upper lips for the looming moustache season, the Movember Foundation continues its commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of Australian men and boys.
Through the Mo’s grown and funds raised by Mo Bros and their supportive Mo Sistas, the Foundation strives to ensure men and boys around Australia are mentally healthy. For those who do experience mental health problems, Movember funded programs encourage them to take action early and to live lives free of stigma and discrimination.
Australian Mental Health Initiative
As a result of these committed Mo growing efforts, earlier this month Movember proudly announced the largest ever non-government investment in men’s mental health in Australia.
The Foundation’s Australian Mental Health Initiative brings together teams from across sectors and around the country to collaborate on projects that focus on the mental health of men and boys in the community and workplace.
With an investment of $22.3 million, the Movember Foundation’s Australian Mental Health Initiative will fund a total of eight collaborative teams to implement three-year projects. Each team will be headed up by some of Australia’s leading community, sporting, research and program delivery organisations:
| Lead Organisation | Project Title |
|---|---|
| Institute of Urban Indigenous Health | Improving the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal young men and boys |
| University of New South Wales | Like father like son: a national approach to violence, antisocial behaviour and the mental health of men and boys |
| Black Dog Institute and University of Sydney’s Brain & Mind Institute (co-funded with beyondblue) | The Men @ Work Project |
| Turning Point & Monash University (co-funded with beyondblue) | Improving men’s access to care: a national ambulance approach to reduce suicide and to improve the mental health of men and boys |
| Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne | A documentary promoting resilience in men and boys at key transition points in their lives |
| AFL Players Association & Young and Well CRC* | Game changer: giving men’s wellbeing and mental health a sporting chance |
| Australasian Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health* | Out there…making a difference: improving mental health for men and boys in rural and remote Australia |
| University of Wollongong* | Promoting male mental health using a sustainable and national sport-based intervention |
* to be funded from Movember’s 2014 campaign, subject to total funds raised
Jeremy Macvean, Movember’s Asia Pacific Director, said the Foundation received an overwhelming number of applications, highlighting that the community is passionate about addressing the state of male mental health.
“Almost half (48 per cent) of Australian men will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives and around three-quarters of suicides are men,” said Jeremy.
“These statistics are alarming and the Movember Foundation is taking a stand with this investment to address the unacceptable situation for males around the country,” he added.
“We’re putting our money where our Mo is to help break down the stigma associated with mental health by collaborating with experts in the field to ensure men and boys are both physically and mentally healthy,” he added.
beyondblue Partnership
In Australia, some of the funds raised by passionate Mo Bros and Mo Sistas have gone to Movember’s men’s health partner, beyondblue, to fund important mental health programs. These include an $8 million investment in the NewAccess program, a radical new trial designed to encourage blokes to take action early.
In a further example of funds in action, over $12.3 million to date has been invested in the beyondblue Support Service. Last year over 78,000 Australians contacted the Support Service either online or via phone to chat to one of the service’s trained mental health professionals about their concerns with depression and anxiety.
Mo Bro, Peter, said the service offered him the support he really needed when he was feeling desperate.
“I had lost everything, was homeless and decided to access the beyondblue Support Service online, then would call the service regularly at least two or three times a week just to talk to somebody because I felt so alone. I was given different strategies to get through the day by the support service counselors,” said Peter.
World’s Largest Men’s Health Movement
The Movember Foundation is the leading global organisation committed to changing the face of men’s health. Last year, almost a million Movember moustaches were grown across the world, as part of official campaigns in 21 countries. Since its inception in 2003, more than four million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas have raised $580 million globally for men’s health.
Men around the nation will once again let their upper lips do the talking, kicking off on Saturday 1st Movember. While the men in their lives get hairy, Mo Sistas can support them by raising funds and awareness. Movember wants to particularly encourage the mental health sector to get behind the Mo so they can continue their work in this important area. It’s easy to get involved. Simply sign up at Movember.com to join the world’s largest health movement.
Perhaps the Mo isn’t so humble, after all.
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Article contributed to the newsletter Perspectives - October 2014. Please note that this article is from an individual contributor and does not necessarily reflect the views of Mental Health Australia
