19 December 2020

International Men’s Day is an annual international event celebrated on the 19th of November. One of the main objectives of this day is to raise awareness of the challenges that men face in life, which are often overlooked.  These include areas like mental health, toxic masculinity and the prevalence of male suicide.

 

International Men’s Day happens to coincide with Movember. Movember is a movement founded to raise awareness of the issues facing men’s health. Every year people raise money for men’s health by various methods, most famously growing facial hair.

 

However, these key dates fall during a very turbulent time in Irish society this year. The new norm of life away from others can lead to a sense of isolation, anxiety and stress.

 

The IACP found via a B&A survey** that during March this year 45% of people under the age of 25 were often feeling stressed compared to only 8% at the same time last year.

 

Traditionally, men have difficulties addressing their mental health, and the survey shows us how young men are less likely to seek help from a counsellor/psychotherapist compared to women, with 1 in 9 men attending counselling compared with 1 in 7 women.

 

Chair of the IACP, Ray Henry says, “We’d like to see young men view seeking help for their mental health as normal” Ray added that “there is a tendency in Irish men to want to be seen as strong and silent, but this mentality is inherently damaging”.

 

In July of this year, the IACP launched the Look After Yourself Campaign to encourage young men to seek counselling. This followed the release of a 2019 B&A survey*** commissioned by IACP that revealed that that only 3 in 10 Irish men said they would attend counselling/ psychotherapy.

 

The IACP would encourage anyone who is struggling with their mental health to seek counselling/psychotherapy. “There are a number of options available and easily accessible, and a lot of our members are working online so you don’t need to travel,” says Ray Henry.

 

For a list of accredited counsellors and psychotherapists in your area, visit www.iacp.ie.