Reaching out for support with your mental health is one of the bravest things you can do

This Mental’s Health Week we’re focusing on the benefits of men’s mental health care

Just like physical health, we all need to take care of our mental health.

This Men’s Health Week we’re highlighting the importance of men’s mental health and the positive step men can take to look after it by reaching out for support when they need it.

In the UK, suicide is the single leading cause of death for men below the age of 50yrs
In England and Wales, of the 17 people we lose to suicide daily, 13 will be men.

Benedict Ssentume, Interim Lead for Suicide Prevention and Clinical Risk

Benedict Ssentume (pictured left) is the Interim Lead for Suicide Prevention and Clinical Risk at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which runs NHS mental health services in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

He said: “Reaching out for help is one of the bravest things we can do as men. If it was easy, we wouldn’t need to be brave. When things feel hard, and we do it anyway, that’s real courage.

“When our mental health is good we are able to enjoy our lives, enjoy the time we spend with family and friends, our work and our hobbies, and enjoy and thrive in our relationships with other people in a way that is right for us.

“When our mental health is low it makes these things feel so much harder. That is the time to reach out for care and support. As NHS mental health professionals we are here to listen. I would encourage any man, if they are not feeling like themselves and do not feel able to go about their life as they usually would, to 100 per cent get in touch and talk to us. We have lots of different ways we can support you.”