Editor’s note: This story discusses the topic of suicide among Canadian men. If you need help, you can call 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline.
June is Men’s Mental Health Month, and while progress is being made every day in the realm of mental health, there are still some very sobering realities that exist in Canada relating to suicide and depression, especially in younger Canadian men.
Before we discuss some of that progress, we need to address some of the tragic statistics.
HeadsUpGuys is a program from the University of British Columbia (UBC), under the leadership of Dr. John Ogrodniczuk, professor of psychiatry and director of the psychotherapy program at UBC.
The program says that suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Canadian men under 50. Additionally, 75 per cent of reported suicides in the U.K., U.S., and Canada are men. The organization states that, despite these numbers, “male-specific interventions remain under-researched.”
For the first two weeks of June, HeadsUpGuys is behind a campaign called Step Up For Him, aiming to raise awareness and advocacy, and encourage people to take action for the men in their lives who might be struggling or suffering in silence.
“Whether it’s a walk, run, or ride, participants choose a physical action to show the men in their lives they’re not alone. The campaign is built on a simple insight: many men won’t ask for help, but will step up for someone else,” reads a media release about the campaign.
Progress, not perfection
We had the opportunity to speak with Joe Rachert, who works in community engagement and partnerships for HeadsUpGuys and has been working in this space for over a decade, including with the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF).
Rachert told Daily Hive that HeadsUpGuys were the experts for CMHF, so he had worked with the organization for a decade as well.
“I’m the guy that does my best to build awareness, because we all know building awareness saves lives.”
While the realities of men suffering in silence, or in some cases, being unable to find the assistance they need, are not new, as Rachert tells us, awareness surrounding them has grown, and Rachert partly attributes this to a generational shift.
“There is immediate change, and that’s what we are looking for. But when you look at men’s health as a whole, these things don’t happen overnight, because you have to change what’s called the masculine socialization of culture,” he said.
Rachert remarked on how when he was a younger person, the concept or topics around mental health weren’t discussed at all, especially relative to today. He had an example.
“I did an interview with two grade 10 students from Boulder, Colorado, who were doing a paper on men’s mental health with a specific focus on sports. And I know in grade 10, I wasn’t writing papers like that.”
He told us that he never really understood mental health until he was in his 40s and began working in the field.
“I knew about it, but I didn’t know about it, know about it.”
The challenges presented by social media
Another example of the increased awareness today is in the connection to social media, as illustrated by the deaths of celebrities such as Anthony Bourdain and Robin Williams. Lots of conversations about mental health stemmed from those tragic reported suicides.
However, social media also has a negative influence on the mental health of some men.
“It contributes to the masculine socialization,” he said. The Tate brothers were an example that came up of individuals who are presenting a harmful idea of masculinity through social media, and also influencing folks in potentially dangerous ways.
“Loneliness is an incredibly important factor. So when you join one of these communities and you take part in social media, it gives you a feeling of connectedness.”
Our attachment to our phones, which Rachert says is an addiction, also presents its own challenges.
“The people presenting the information most of the time aren’t qualified. It can be a real negative factor when the phone is your connection to the world, rather than human interaction.”
A vision for a mentally healthier future
“Our long-term, overall, huge vision is that death by suicide is never in the top five reasons for somebody’s mortality,” Rachert said.
One of the tools in achieving that vision is increased awareness and advocacy, which includes articles in the media about men’s mental health as well as building healthy communities where conversations can occur openly, where men aren’t afraid to share their feelings and fears. A world where men aren’t afraid to seek guidance or assistance through therapy.
“I use myself as an example,” Rachert said.
“I had a friend take his life when I was in my early 30s, and I never recognized a single sign, yet he displayed every single sign, every single one was there on hindsight and reflection. I now know what those signs are, and that will never happen to anybody in my circle of friends again.”
Rachert’s example is a key reason why awareness, advocacy, and education are so key when we look at men’s mental health. If you can see the signs, you might be able to save someone’s life, and it could be someone close to you.
If you need help, HeadsUpGuys has a directory for therapists across North America.
Rachert also shared a video with us created as part of the Step Up For Him campaign from a choir in Vancouver that might fill your heart as much as it did his, bringing tears to his eyes.