Men’s Health Awareness Month with Tom Truman

November marks Men’s Health Awareness month, a campaign to support those tackling prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health issues. Tom Truman, Mental Health and Wellbeing Liaison Officer & MBA Student at Coventry University, discusses the issues surrounding men’s mental health and what it means to him.

- Tom Truman

Mental health problems can affect anyone, but discrimination and stigma can make people anxious in talking about their experiences to seek help. Outdated attitudes to gender norms reinforce the myth that men should be ‘tough’, and they are not a ‘man’ if they show any sign of weakness. A lot of men may fail to recognise the warning signs and maybe unwilling, or unable, to seek help. There is no shame in feeling helpless or down; everyone experiences these feelings. Men, it’s OK not to be OK. 

A few months ago, I started running to get fitter. I wanted to spend more time outside and lose some of my lockdown timber! Running is a cheap and accessible method of exercise. The endorphins it produces makes you feel better about yourself and taking part in a run is a positive self-achievement. Within a few months, I built up my confidence and fitness to run a Half Marathon to raise vital funds for Student Minds which was a fantastic experience. Taking part in fundraising on behalf of Student Minds was a great way to have fun and raise awareness of their important work. The fundraising helped keep me accountable for my own fitness goals. Within 4 months of starting running, I managed to run a half marathon and raise over £1200. If you are undertaking a fitness challenge, please consider fundraising for Student Minds: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/tomstudentminds 

Men getting involved with fundraising and talking about mental health are billboards for men’s health and often it sparks off conversations with other men in their lives to talk about their mental and physical health and seek help. 

I would urge anyone who may be experiencing difficulties with their mental health to tell someone because you can bet that you are certainly not alone. The sooner you reach out and ask for help, the sooner you will start to feel better. You just have to take that first step and once you have, things will start to change, and you’ll wonder why you left it so long in the first place.

You can fundraise to support Student Minds and student mental health too, find out more today.

Tom is a degree educated Mental Health and Training professional currently undertaking an MBA in Leadership for personal development. Tom has previously worked in the accommodation, charity, and training sectors. Tom loves Cats and has the dream of going on a safari in Africa to see big Cats in the wild!

Why We Started Men’s Mental Health Podcast, Changing MENtality

Caleb shares his experience of developing and launching a podcast with a group of fellow university students through Student Minds’ men’s mental health programme 'Well Lads'. 

- Caleb

As part of Changing MENtality my fellow podcasters and I aim to eliminate stigma and raise awareness through conversation. During our episodes we have shared our own experiences with mental health as well as hosting multiple episodes with guest interviewees.

Personally, I think now more than ever is a great time to start a podcast, especially one relating to mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has locked many of us indoors, with another voice in the house being something many of us can definitely benefit from.

The discussion of mental health is something which I’ve seen become far more prominent since the pandemic started with many finding a new interest in the subject, possibly as a reaction to their own experiences during lockdown.

In total there’s 16 of us on the podcast team, we all have different experiences of university studying across the country on various different courses.

Euan McDonnell, a Biology PhD student at the University of Leeds, got involved with the podcast hoping to use his own experiences with mental health to help our listeners.

Euan said: “I hoped that I would be able to provide insight and support that I gained through exploration of my own mental health experience so that others could be better prepared if they faced similar things.”

The project wasn’t always a podcast and was part of Well Lads, a Student Minds initiative towards men’s mental health. Sam, a Drama & Screen Studies student at the University of Manchester, was involved in the project during these early stages.

Sam said: “I’ve been involved with this project for nearly two years, longer than the idea of the podcast has been around.

“I signed up because I thought I would learn a lot. The idea of talking about mental health was new to me when I started at university, but I was interested and I thought I could help out by being a part of it.”

Getting involved in the podcast is something I was pretty nervous about at first, as I can imagine many of my fellow volunteers were. The prospect of editing mass amounts of audio and listening to your own voice are enough to make anyone a little bit apprehensive. Thankfully we had training from Adam Ashton, co-host of What You Will Learn to show us the ropes when it comes to podcast production and promotion. It’s safe to say though we’re still in our early days we’ve started to hone our skills and have created a podcast that at we are proud to be part of.

Ben Brown, a Psychology student at Nottingham Trent University, got involved with the project to learn some new skills.

Ben said: “I was looking for volunteering work, mostly just to build up my CV. I was already interested in men's issues and talking about guys' experiences so I signed up.

“I'd never done a podcast before and didn't really know what I'd be doing in the group.”

In December, Ben was part of his first episode, ‘Talking or Taking Meds?’ where Ben, Aidan & Euan discussed the different mental healthcare approaches you can take.

Unlike Ben, being part of a podcast isn’t an entirely new experience for me. While at the University of Salford I was part of the student radio station and later studied podcasting as part of my journalism degree. However, despite prior experience I’ve still learnt a lot, thanks not only to the Student Minds team but also to my fellow podcasters.

Much of the learning doesn’t take place during training but instead happens during episodes when speaking to guests. I hope those who listen learn something new in every episode just like my fellow podcasters and I have when recording.

Mental health has always been something that I’ve been hesitant to talk about, especially when I was younger, but over the years I’ve learnt through talking with friends and family that these issues are far more common than you’d think. Through the podcast I hope to raise awareness of how normal mental health issues are, especially those which we don’t see as ‘typical’.

Below each episode we link to a variety of services that our listeners can use in times of crisis or when they’re needing help. These services include Student Space amongst a variety of others.

Since launching we know that a number of listeners have gone on to seek support from services we have signposted. It’s really rewarding to know that the podcast was able to help people find the help that they need. The very objective we aimed for when first launching the podcast.

To learn more about the podcast and the men behind it, click here.

I'm a third year Multimedia Journalist student at the University of Salford. I joined 'Well Lads' after hearing about it through my work with Make Our Rights Reality and hope to eliminate stigmas surrounding male mental health along with educating people about mental healthcare through my involvement in the podcast. In my spare time I'm a writer and poet sharing much of my work online as well as being an avid fan of professional wrestling and true crime.

My Snapchat initiative — It’s time to speak up

Adam shares his experience of and reflections on setting up a mental health initiative, a Snapchat “Check-in” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

- Adam

Lockdown — it is something we have never experienced before in our lifetime. The virus itself is costing lives, whilst quarantine is having an impact in several other ways. At the end of April, I set up a mental health initiative — and I want to tell you all about it. 

In an attempt to get more people talking about mental health, I released my own ‘check-in’ format, encouraging people to pop up with a certain colour and talk about how they are currently feeling in the midst of this lockdown. With well over 200 people regularly viewing my Snapchat story, this was an idea that I thought could surely take off.

My Snapchat "Check-in" initiative

From what I have seen with different initiatives, more and more people are now seemingly opening up about their mental health, something that has been long overdue. I had the number of people viewing my Snapchat story, I had the right sort of idea and I felt that it was just a waiting game to see who would get involved. 

For anyone wondering why I posted these Snapchat stories at stupid o’clock (1 am), it was purely because people are usually on their own at night, perhaps when they are also most vulnerable. Although going to sleep at 3 am and waking up at 11 am was not everyone’s cup of tea, it was worth it. From having a simple conversation with someone, you can potentially save a life.

Although my “check-in” never really got off the ground, some viewers did take the opportunity to open up. I was honoured that some people who do not even know me trusted me with their stories of struggle. If you open up to someone, they will often be grateful for the trust that you have placed in them. From there, they can often point you in the right direction with advice that could be very useful. Meanwhile, the proportion of people popping up with a red or black circle was also scary. It indeed makes you realise that some people are in bigger danger than you think. 

In the past few years, we have come a long way as a society in speaking out about mental health problems. But the low percentage of people participating has taught me that there is still a long way to go, especially with the unforgiving platform of social media. 

Although #BeKind has been trending after the tragic death of Caroline Flack, many people are still worried about opening up about their mental health issues on social media platforms, fearing unwanted backlashes or unempathetic comments.

Moreover, you never know what someone is going through beneath their everyday facade - mental scars do not often show in a physical form. Bearing this in mind, let’s be kinder to each other. Because not only has the coronavirus created an imminent threat to our physical health, but it has also had a major impact on our mental health. For people who were already suffering mentally before this crisis began, the virus has now become an even bigger obstacle. 

However, this is a hurdle that we can and will overcome. 

It will be a group effort. Everyone needs to play their small part by asking the simplest question: ‘How are you?’ That is how people often start a conversation - and it is so important that we continue to do so. The simple act of asking how people are coping can be a beacon of light to those who are in their darkest moment. 

If you are currently suffering, this is a message for you: Whether it is a friend, family, colleague, or partner—please try to play your part in return and talk to someone you feel comfortable opening up to. At first, I found it difficult to speak out about how I felt because I felt guilty. After a while, the guilt started to fade and problems started to feel lighter. I have come to realise that there is no shame in talking to someone about how you feel. 

By opening up and sharing your story, you may just save your own life and help to save others by giving them the courage to speak out. This old saying is especially relevant now: a problem shared is a problem halved. 

Play your part in this epidemic and help to save lives by speaking out, and in return, providing a listening ear to those who need it most if you have the mental strength to do so.

For more information Student Space is here to make it easier for you to find the support you need during the coronavirus pandemic.

You can find more resources on supporting yourself and supporting a friend on Student Minds Find Support page.  More resources on looking after your wellbeing during the coronavirus pandemic here. 

I'm Adam, a Journalism and Media Production student at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham. Over the past few years, I have written hundreds of articles at both a local and national level - including the Daily Express. As well as writing about mental health, I cover current affairs, sport, politics and education in my quest to serve the general public.

How Do Gender Norms Impact on Men's Mental Health?

For International Men's Day, Michael shares his experiences of how gender norms can impact on men's mental health help-seeking behaviours, experiences, and literacy. 

- Michael Priestley

In thinking about how gender norms impact on men's mental health, it is important to acknowledge that men, like women, are a diverse group and that multiple factors will shape this relationship- such as class, race, and sexuality. I write therefore from my own mental health experiences as a man, and cannot speak for all men.

I understand gender roles as both learned and performed; I act as a man in different ways in different contexts as shaped by the different models of masculinity that I see around me. I see one particularly dominant model of masculinity as follows. Men, as opposed to women: 1) Don't talk about or show emotions; 2) Are brave and physically strong; 3) Have sex with women and 4) Drink beer. Stick to these simple rules society tells us, and we'll all be fine. But will we? Research shows men to be at an increased risk of certain mental health difficulties and death by suicide, and are significantly less likely than women to seek help for their mental health from professionals, friends, or family. In this context, and drawing on my own experiences, I suggest that these dominant gender norms may impact on men's mental health in three main ways:

1) Gender Norms Can Impact on Men's Help-Seeking:
Clearly, if men don't talk about or show emotions and if men are brave and strong, this can make it hard as a man to openly acknowledge and admit that you are struggling with your mental health and ask for help.

2) Gender Norms Can Impact on Men's Emotional Experiences:
As a man, in trying not to show difficult emotions such as sadness, embarrassment, or fear, you can end up trying not to feel these emotions which, in turn, can change the way that you understand, articulate, and experience them. For me, instead of experiencing feelings of sadness or anxiety as something that could be related to my mental health, for which I should probably get help, at the time, I experienced these feelings only as confusion, frustration, or anger with the events or people in my life. Not only this, but by repressing and avoiding how I was actually feeling, these feelings built up to a boiling point and I ended up expressing them in ways that were destructive, both for myself and for others around me.

3) Gender Norms Impact on Men's Mental Health Literacy 
If men don't talk about or show emotions, it can become difficult for men to develop a language in which to express or understand difficult emotions. The problem then is that when men do feel them, they can feel ill-prepared and under-equipped to understand and share these with others, forcing many men into silence and isolation to deal with problems alone.

The point is that, from my experience, not only do gender norms create conditions where it is hard for men to speak up and ask for help for their mental health, they also condition men's emotional experiences and language in ways that, in the long term, can have a negative impact on mental health. In isolation, simply telling men to talk more (whilst obviously very important!), can be an oversimplification of the complex social processes that influence the way that men understand and experience emotion. As a society, we need to develop other models of masculinity, but in the meantime, we also need a new language for recognising, understanding, and responding to men's distinctive mental health experiences as situated within, and mediated by, social gender norms.

These ideas were initially shared as part of an International Men's Day panel discussion organised by Changing Relations; an arts-based education and training company that challenges thinking around gender norms, gender equality, and healthy relationships. 

To find out the work that Student Minds are doing to improve male students' mental health, please see here. 

I'm Michael and I'm the editor of the Student Minds Blog. I'm a PhD student at Durham University studying student mental health and wellbeing. I write for Student Minds to share my own experiences of mental health difficulties, and tackle the stigma around mental health. 

Opening up about Men's Mental Health - Michael

Michael shares his experience living with and opening up about mental health conditions.

- Michael

For many years now I’ve been fighting mental health difficulties such as depression, mental paralysis, and anxiety. I’m in the prime of my life, so I ask myself, why do I feel like this? I’ve just turned twenty and I am a Student in London, but I find it hard to introduce myself because for years I didn’t have a clue who I was. My worst times were between 2015-2017 and I’m now in a rebuilding stage. I still fall down sometimes, but I get back up. Always get back up.

I see every day the major stigma for men to open up about themselves. People ask why? Men have been portrayed for decades – centuries, even – to be strong and mentally stable. It’s okay to be an “Alpha Male”, but it’s okay to be emotional too. The whole issue of stigma comes from society and the people around us. Our friends/family are often the main people we’d cover it up from, and I covered up my emotions just so I wouldn’t show weakness. Men do this, and using this mask works to an extent. It’s also hard finding somebody who will understand. Not many friends/family will ever understand what’s going on. I know this because I could never talk to people I care about the most.

What makes me talk today? I’ve had enough of seeing people fall below me. Meaning, I’ve been on the brink of giving up many times. Those potential final moments of your life it’s just an unexplainable feeling. Known/unknown names are falling below the level and it frustrates me. Therefore, for a Male like myself to decide to open up. It’s bloody necessary in today’s society.

I’ve found myself struggling to function sometimes because my cognitive performance has been worn out with stress and anxiety. I’m currently having to rebuild my ability to do things I once thought were simple, such as literacy skills. I also lost a lot of good things in my life during those bad times. I gave up activities I once loved, like hiking and the gym. I banned myself from learning to drive because I nearly crashed the car from lack of concentration. I didn’t want to put others in danger, so I quit. I lost important individuals who didn’t know about my mental health difficulties because I didn’t want to drag them down with me. I was giving up on my future. I couldn’t let them waste theirs, that would’ve been selfish of me. It’s these regrets that I have which are also encouraging me to talk and help others.

I think that the main challenge for men in our society is to get over their own ego which makes them think they’ll be strong enough to get through it alone. I’d love to meet a person who walked in and out of mental health difficulties without anyone knowing or without any harm done. I went years without telling anyone and it made me worse. I accept that everyone is different, but everyone needs some kind of help from a healthy source. We were all born to do something in life. We aren’t here to just struggle day by day and only find peace on our deathbeds.

Therefore, we as men need to open up. It doesn’t matter who you are, or your story. A ‘real man’ talks! Don’t ever think you have go through mental health issues alone, that’s just toxic. You can get through the barrier, you just have to break through it. There are so many resources to help us overcome mental health difficulties, you just have to use them. The first step? TALK!


If you would like to get involved with our Men's Mental Health blogging series, then you can find all of the details here. You can also send us an email at blog@studentminds.org.uk for more details!

Hi, I'm Michael Rigby and I study Sports Business and Broadcasting at UCFB Wembley. I have experienced mental illness, including depression and social anxiety since the age of 14.

Opening up about Men's Mental Health: Michael

In order to tackle problems with men's mental health, we need to redefine our expectations and understanding of masculinity.

- Michael

Tell Us about Yourself

Having completed my BA and MA at Durham University, I began a PhD in October studying the relationship between education policy and student mental health. I regularly volunteer both with the Samaritans, and a local suicide prevention, intervention and support charity called If U Care Share Foundation. Student mental health and wellbeing is very important to me and I am running the Edinburgh Marathon in May to fundraise for Student Minds.

Do you think there is a stigma attached to men talking about mental health? Why? 

In my view, the stigma that is attached to men talking about mental health is produced through the language we use. This manifest in both how we talk about men and, consequently, in talking about men’s mental health. In his book How Not to Be a Boy, Robert Webb reflects on the way that social narratives of masculinity condition men into believing that certain thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are abnormal. Webb suggests that men act and interact according to certain socially accepted rules of masculinity. For example, that men do not cry, that men do not discuss feelings, that men get into fights, that men like girls, and that men obsess about sport. Men can find themselves defined and valued by their physical and emotional strength. These rules then tend to place conflict and competition at the centre of male relationships. 

There are ultimately, I believe, two perceived consequences for men talking about mental health. First, men become uncomfortable or unable to discuss feelings together. Men repress ‘unacceptable’ feelings such as sadness, embarrassment or fear and these feelings can become either hidden from view or visible only as anger, arrogance or deflective humour. Secondly, men that do talk about feelings together are stigmatised as un-masculine, inadequate, or even homosexual. Talking about feelings is considered abnormal and weak, and men’s discomfort can result in frustration or humour projected onto those expressing them. 

Ultimately then, I believe that, not only does the narrative of masculinity make it especially difficult for men to talk openly about mental health, it can actually produce poor mental health. It creates certain damaging expectations of men and mentally unhealthy ways of coping with emotional distress (such as silence, violence, alcohol etc.). 

What made you decide to be open about your own mental health?

I hope that in opening up about my own mental health, other men will feel more confident to do the same. It is only by having an honest and open conversation about men’s mental health that we can learn from each other and make positive changes. 

What are the challenges for men talking about their mental health and how can we overcome them? 

To be clear, the social narrative and expectations of masculinity form the biggest challenge for men talking about mental health. Recognising that is the first step. To try and overcome this, I believe we must re-write the rules masculinity; that is, we must use language to re-form society’s expectations of men. One way we can achieve this is by empowering men with safe spaces, like this blogging series, to speak more openly about mental health. In doing this, I believe we can create an environment that supports men experiencing mental health issues.

If you would like to get involved with our Men's Mental Health blogging series, then you can find all of the details here. You can also send us an email at blog@studentminds.org.uk for more details!

Hi, I'm Michael. I'm currently a PhD student at Durham University and wanted to write for Student Minds about my own experiences of depression, anxiety and university life.

Male Mental Health Month with Loughborough HeadsUp

Our student group Loughborough HeadsUp discuss their events for Male Mental Health Month.

-Hannah Timson

This November is National Men's Health Awareness Month and HeadsUp are focusing on communicating the importance and necessity of encouraging all men to be more open about their mental health. We want to fight the idea that men feel as though they must carry their mental health alone in silence and deconstruct the ideas of masculinity and the tough guy image of how we believe we should be acting.

Throughout the month we have been hosting a number of events and activities for everyone to come along and get involved in. These have ranged from a Meet and Greet with our committee where people were encouraged to come down to a sociable evening of pizza and games and discuss their ideas surrounding our work and future events; two Mindfulness Sessions in which an external speaker came into the Union to deliver short workshops on how to stay in control of your thoughts when stress becomes difficult to deal with, and a taster Kickboxing Session.

We also hosted a discussion panel surrounding this issue in which we put a series of hard hitting questions to a panel of strong and successful men who have themselves suffered with their mental health either in the past or the present. It was a highly interesting and informative event which incredible insightful and moving at points were shared.

Hi, my name is Hannah and I am currently in my final year studying English Literature at Loughborough University. I have suffered with panic attacks from a young age and was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression shortly after starting university. I set up my own blog as an outlet and started writing about my experiences in order to ensure that people knew that this wasn't a diagnosis to be ashamed of and to help others to come out and talk about their own struggles with someone they could trust. This year, I am working as Communications Officer for Loughborough Heads Up, the university's student led mental health awareness group who run campaigns around campus to raise awareness and work towards breaking the stigma surrounding Mental Health once and for all.

What does it mean to be a man?

Our student group Loughborough HeadsUp discuss the importance and necessity of encouraging all men to be more open about their mental health.

-Hannah Timson

"To be a man is to be honest and to be human" 

What does it mean to be a man? This is a question that I've always been puzzled by. Sweeping gendered stereotypes aside, is there really any difference between the answer to this and what it means to be a woman? Surely the real question here should be; What does it mean to be human? And the answers to that question could not possibly be condensed into this blog post. So instead I'll just give you a few:

Strength. Humility. Integrity. Love. Pain. Truth. Honesty.

Sounds fair? But the issue comes when you split these terms down into Gender. Society has conditioned both men and women to believe that they should act and behave in a certain way. This is why when the majority of men are questioned about the qualities of a man, they will reply with words associated with power, strength and action as opposed to emotion. Why is it considered "unmanly" by society to hide your true feelings behind this facade we have constructed surrounding men?

We have also be releasing material surrounding the campaign on a daily basis. This has included a leaflet about Male Mental Health which has been circulated around campus; the daily release of a photo of a famous figure who has suffered with their own mental health, a list of their successes and a famous quote, and finally a campaign video featuring some of the most reputable names at Loughborough talking about the stigma behind Male Mental Health. We have been overwhelmed by the incredible reaction we have had to the video and you can find it here to see for yourself:
https://www.facebook.com/lboroheadsup/videos/1672258392841995/

One of the men we interviewed as part of the video was Loughborough Students Union President 17/18, George Etherington. We have been speaking to George throughout our campaign as it is something he feels incredibly strong about and is very close to his heart. This is what he had to say in another interview earlier in the campaign:

"We need to teach people to redefine their definition of masculinity. We need young boys to grow up knowing that it is ok to be exactly how they are and to feel how they feel, not needing to "man up"and not needing to "be a man about it" ... To me, putting on a brave front isn't bravery. To me, bravery is being open and honest. Be vulnerable, let people see your emotions. I can't think of anything braver than allowing someone to see you for you."

Mental Health affects everyone, regardless of race, religion, nationality, colour or gender. So why do men feel so ashamed, why have they developed this unconscious belief that it is manly to hide what is hurting you?

Suicide is now reported as being the biggest cause of death for men under 35, with 1 in 8 men in the UK are experiencing a common mental health disorder, yet it is a significantly lower number whom actually declare this to anyone.

We have been raised surrounded by this masculinised social construct that men should not cry; that they not meant to feel insecure or vulnerable; that emotion and worry are wrong and that the strong minded and unempathetic archetype of men portrayed in films and the media will lead to success. That it makes them weak. They are not ashamed or affected because of it because the majority sought the help that they needed.

You are not going to make it through life untouched by moments of misery or sadness or fear. But these unwanted emotions are what make us unequivocally human. It is ok to be vulnerable. It is ok to feel. And it is ok to reach out for a helping hand. It makes you brave, not weak to do so. We should never be ashamed to be human.

Hi, my name is Hannah and I am currently in my final year studying English Literature at Loughborough University. I have suffered with panic attacks from a young age and was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression shortly after starting university. I set up my own blog as an outlet and started writing about my experiences in order to ensure that people knew that this wasn't a diagnosis to be ashamed of and to help others to come out and talk about their own struggles with someone they could trust. This year, I am working as Communications Officer for Loughborough Heads Up, the university's student led mental health awareness group who run campaigns around campus to raise awareness and work towards breaking the stigma surrounding Mental Health once and for all.