It’s been a year of monumental challenges and hurdles. COVID-19 upended normality, and it’s having a huge impact on millions of lives across the world. Physical distancing has wreaked havoc on factors that are so often at the root of poor mental health among men: social isolation, job loss, financial insecurity, relationship breakdown, stress and anxiety. And it’s made one thing wildly clear: our work in mental health is more important than ever.
Movember’s mental health mission has always been driven by one goal: to break down stereotypes around masculinity and rebuild our understanding of what it is to ‘be a man’. Through our community-based, early-intervention programs, we aim to strengthen social connections, encourage men to talk openly, and build not only skills and resilience, but also networks and outlets for men to lean on in tough times.
Because suffering in silence costs lives. And while there are no quick solutions to the men’s mental health crisis, there are steps we can all take right now to help improve the emotional wellbeing of the men in our lives. It can be as simple as reaching out and asking, ‘how are you?’ and listening intently to the response.
Through our diverse range of programs across the world – whether it’s surf therapy with young guys on the beaches of Australia, a photography program for American vets that encourages healing through self-expression and connection, or a land-based initiative that aims to connect Indigenous Canadian youth with their culture and heritage – we go to where men are and tackle the issues through a male lens.
None of these life-changing programs would be possible without the passion, support and dedication of Movember’s global community of fundraisers. Together, we’re changing the face of men’s health.