Government launches first-ever men's mental health strategy

Sometimes being a bloke is hard. It seems silly to say and cringe to type, given the power and prevalence of males throughout the entirety of history, but it is true. 

Nobody is saying being a woman is easy because honestly it can’t be. It has always been and remains far more difficult to be a woman than a man. 

Next time you hear a man say otherwise, just point out that there is still an inherent gender pay gap, a female has never been the President of the United States and very few have gotten anywhere close, and there’s no such thing as “woman flu”.

Competition aside, two things can be true. And the difficulty faced by men in the UK has rarely been as apparent as the present day. Male suicide and mental health struggles are long past the point of crisis, and this seems to have been recognised by the government. 

The first dedicated men’s health strategy, launched this week to coincide with International Men’s Day by Keir Starmer’s government (for now), marks what ministers are calling a long-overdue shift in how the UK approaches the physical and mental wellbeing of males. 

It arrives against a terrible backdrop with men dying nearly four years earlier than women on average, being significantly more likely to take their own lives, and disproportionately affected by addiction and substance misuse.

For years, campaigners have argued this is not simply down to biological inevitabilities, but the result of structural and social conditions that uniquely affect men. This strategy represents the first attempt to respond to this.

Many men do not reach out for help. It’s just not what we do even when we know it to be wrong. Even someone with the adulation and fortune of Ricky Hatton spoke of it in the past and his death earlier this year was found to be the result of suicide by hanging.

The Department of Health highlights that men are less likely to speak to a GP, more likely to suffer in silence, and far more likely to smoke, drink heavily, use drugs or gamble.

Nowhere is the impact of this clearer than in suicide statistics. Suicide remains one of the biggest killers of men under 50, with males accounting for three-quarters of all them. As a result, the government is investing £3.6 million over three years in community-based suicide-prevention projects.

A new partnership with the Premier League aims to use football to connect fans with same-day help. Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said football “has the power to break down stigma”, while the Samaritans will help in supplying practical support directly to fans.

Musician and mental health advocate Professor Green, whose own dad killed himself, welcomed the new strategy, but said deeper cultural change was needed: “We need a joined-up approach across government to look at how we raise boys, the role of fathers, the influence of culture and schools, and how health services meet men where they are.”

Two of the most significant behavioural risks addressed in the strategy are alcohol misuse and cocaine use. In 2023, England recorded over 1100 cocaine-related deaths. 10 years ago there were just over 100. 

The risk grows when cocaine is mixed with alcohol and in reality, it is not difficult to stumble into a toilet of any pub these days without seeing 6 blokes queuing for the cubicle while none of the urinals are in use.  

To respond to the increases, the government is funding a £200,000 trial exploring how to better warn men about the dangers of mixing substances. 

Meanwhile, gambling harms will be tackled through a voluntary sector grant launching in April to support early-intervention projects. Young men remain among those most vulnerable to addiction.

The strategy also sets out steps aimed at making healthcare more accessible to men, including millions of investment in community-based men’s health programmes, home-testing kits to spot prostate cancer earlier and new modular learning courses for NHS staff that focus on men’s health.

Coming off what can only be described as a great week for him, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “For too long, men’s health has been overlooked. There has been a reluctance to accept that men suffer specific inequalities and hardships. 

“The fact is that life can be really difficult for men in today’s society. Men are dying nearly 4 years earlier than women, and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death for men under 50. 

This strategy marks a turning point - the first time we’re taking comprehensive, co-ordinated action to address the health challenges facing men and boys.” 

Charities, campaigners and health professionals have largely welcomed the announcement, while stressing the need for urgency and follow-through. Movember CEO Michelle Terry called it a “historic day” but warned that “rapid progress and delivery” will be essential to achieving meaningful change.

The strategy’s strength lies in its recognition that men’s health cannot be improved through clinical pathways alone. Stereotypes of masculinity and accepted practice amongst men both significantly impact how men avoid seeking help. This strategy’s emphasis on meeting men in football stadiums and workplaces acknowledges that.

Will the strategy immediately overhaul long-entrenched patterns of behaviour? Probably not. But this first-of-its-kind strategy acknowledges that change is needed and initiates steps towards this. So while this is somewhat of a symbolic step in the right direction, it is better than ignoring the issue and waiting for it to magically get better.