As part of our commitment to provide you with a regular cadence of health-related stories, our Movember campaign continues. This month, we already have highlighted Movember’s first two areas of focus, prostate and testicular cancer, and today we continue with mental health.
Did you know? Across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 75% of all suicides. That’s 60 men every 60 minutes.
Keeping the lines of communication open can help you connect with a friend or family member in need of support. According to https://us.movember.com, using four simple steps and some key questions (coined with the acronym ALEC) can help you navigate what could be a tough conversation.
ALEC:
- ASK: “You’ve not quite seemed yourself recently. Are you okay?”
- LISTEN: “That can’t be easy. How long have you felt that way?”
- ENCOURAGE ACTION: Suggest he tells other people he trusts how he’s feeling.
- CHECK IN: Show you care. Commit to catching up soon – in person if you can. If you can’t manage a meet-up, make time for a call, or drop him a message.
Trust your gut instincts. If you think something’s off, don’t be afraid to ask some questions. The right conversation can make all the difference to a man who might be struggling.
For information on men’s mental health issues and signs, you can refer to these two sites:
https://us.movember.com/mens-health/suicide-prevention
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-health/index.shtml
