Today is men’s health day – a day dedicated to raising awareness of the physical and mental health of men.
We are encouraging everyone to complete their own health check by following these simple steps:
https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/diy-man-mot
Campaigning to eliminate drink spiking.
Stamp Out Spiking UK; 2022.
[This campaign offers anti-drink spiking resources and solutions that help people to stay safe, with a mission to raise awareness and promote personal safety issues, by providing people with information and a practical means of protecting themselves, and ultimately, to stamp out drink spiking.]
Delivering safe, face-to-face adult day care.
Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE); 2022.
[Supporting care managers, social workers, commissioners and providers, with activities. The latest updates to the guidance include: Infection control and testing; vaccination information; and changes to restrictions due to Omicron.]
Recent increase in group B meningococcal disease among teenagers and young adults.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2022.
[Teenagers and young adults are urged to look out for symptoms and check that they have received all routine vaccinations. Recent data and analysis shows that in autumn 2021 there was an increase in the number of cases of meningococcal disease in teenagers and young adults, mainly caused by group B meningococcal disease (MenB) – with the majority among university students.]
Focusing on men’s health: it’s time for a national strategy.
Baker P. British Journal of Nursing 2022;31(1):50-51.
[It is surely time for a men’s health strategy in the UK. Or, rather, a strategy for each of the UK’s nations. Seven other countries—including our nearest neighbour, Ireland—already have men’s health strategies or policies. The UK Government has also signed up to World Health Organization (WHO) Europe’s regional men’s health strategy (WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2018). A Women’s Health Plan for Scotland was published in August and a women’s health strategy for England is being developed.]
Stop Abuse Together.
Cabinet Office; 2022.
[Tool to help parents, carers, teachers or other professionals working with children, to spot the potential signs of child sexual abuse and where to go for support. This website brings together advice and resources to help you keep the children in your life safe.]
Across the UK, men’s mental and physical health is unacceptably poor – with around one man in five dying before the age of 65. Covid has worsened the situation with completely disproportionate effects among men. Many services are failing to reach men in time, especially working-age men, even though there are ever more examples of how services can be designed to reach and engage men more effectively. The lesson from other countries is that introducing a men’s health strategy alongside the government’s planned women’s health strategy can change this. This document lays out the case for change.
Boys and young men can face multiple barriers to accessing mental health support, including gender stereotypes which generate stigma around seeking help, concerns around showing vulnerability, and less positive attitudes towards mental health services. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on boys’ and young men’s stress and anxiety levels, and this has been particularly marked for young men experiencing racial injustice.
‘Thriving Not Just Surviving’ was a three-year programme funded by Comic Relief to deliver community-based mental health support tailored to the needs of boys and young men. Trying something new is based on Centre for Mental Health’s evaluation of this programme and provides insights into what works when supporting boys and young men.
Read more and download the report here
Everybody’s mental health has been challenged by the lockdowns and insecurities of the last year and it’s not over. As we emerge from what we hope will be the worst of the pandemic, questions, concerns and anxieties remain. Men’s Health Week 2021 (14-21 June) asks: how do we move forward?
Read more about how you can get involved here.
Queen’s Nursing Institute, October 2018
This report aims to provide information and guidance to community nurses who want to work more effectively on men’s health. At its core is information about a range of men’s health and wellbeing projects that the QNI supported in 2017 with funding from the Burdett Trust for Nursing. The report also includes wider information about men’s health including details of additional information and support.
Click here to view the full report.
