We know that mental health hugely matters to our community and it matters to us. Every year we celebrate University Mental Health Day to spread the message that it is okay not to be okay, that a lot of people can get better, and that our university community cares.
The current pandemic has impacted on people’s health, lifestyles and wellbeing. Men’s mental health is something that is often not talked about, and we want to draw attention to this in particular on University Mental Health Day. Men might not realise what is happening to them, that they are not coping, they are not alone, and that they can get help.
We will explore men's experiences of balancing home and work/study life during the pandemic and the impact on mental health in this interactive session on Men’s Mental Health, Lifestyles and Wellbeing on Wednesday 3 March.
Join our panel of experts in men’s health and gender relations, including Prof. Russell Luyt, Head of School, School of Human Sciences and Prof. Damien Ridge, Health Studies, University of Westminster, to discuss the mental health changes that have men experienced, and how we can maintain positive changes into the future.
Our panel will be joined by our partner Charlton Athletic Football Club’s first team player Alex Gilbey to share his experience as a professional footballer in the pandemic, and why it’s important to talk about your mental health.
It is positive that it’s becoming more accepted that we talk about men’s mental health as it hasn’t been a topic men have been comfortable discussing in the past. In this day and age, where people may be isolated and left with their own thoughts, I think looking after your mental health is more important than ever.
Alex Gilbey, first team player, Charlton Athletic Football Club
The session will explore the impact of gender relations on men’s mental health – is distress in men hidden? Is male suffering gendered? – and can help you to understand how you might recognise men in distress, and what men need to better cope with this distress.
You can gain a better understanding of the pressures that we experience to be a certain kind of ‘man’ or ‘woman’ and what options exist to negotiate more flexible experiences and relationships.
Join the session to discuss how we can understand men’s experiences, and in so doing, increase the options and opportunities available to them to think, feel and behave in a ways that improves their wellbeing whilst also promoting unbiased gender relations.
You can join the Men’s Mental Health, Lifestyles and Wellbeing session at 2.50pm on Wednesday 3 March via Teams here.
For more information visit our University Mental Health Day web page.
Our Men’s Health experts:
Russell Luyt, University of Greenwich
Russell Luyt is Professor in the Social Psychology of Gender at the University of Greenwich. Russell's work focusses primarily on the critical social psychology of gender, men and masculinities. This has included, for example; the critique of traditional masculinity, femininity and gender measurement, media representations, masculinities and aggression, the intersection of gender, 'race' and social class, and qualitative methodologies. His current programme of research includes a focus on prejudice displayed toward gender and sexual minorities, as well as social exclusion, radicalisation and violence among marginalised communities from a gender standpoint.
Damien Ridge, University of Westminster
Damien Ridge is Professor of Health Studies and Research Director (College of Liberal Arts & Sciences), University of Westminster. He previously worked in the Health Experiences Research Group (HERG) at the University of Oxford. There, he began his research that fleshed out for the first time what recovery from depression actually entailed for patients, and for men especially. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidance on depression subsequently adopted his research on recovery extensively in their guidance on the treatment and management of depression in adults in the UK (2010). The current consultation (2018) also uses his work to bring about deeper understanding of patient experiences, including good treatment approaches and useful approaches to recovery. Damien also co-developed the Atlas wellbeing service for men at the Victoria Medical Centre, a finalist in the prestigious BMJ awards (2015). He is committed to putting patient-centeredness at the heart of all health considerations. His key areas of study are men’s wellbeing, depression, mental health, gender, chronic health conditions (e.g. chronic fatigue, HIV) and sexuality. Damien has published two books and over 100 peer-reviewed academic journal papers/ book chapters.
Charlton Athletic Community Trust
Read more about Charlton Athletic and their investment in men’s health through their Community Trust programmes: CACT Health Improvement – Men’s Health
