Hawai'i Pacific University: A Guide to Men's Mental Health Awareness

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), despite women being diagnosed with depression twice as much as men, the rate of suicide was four times higher for men than women in the previous year. 

Furthermore, due to societal expectations and stigmas, men often self-treat through addictive behaviors, such as substance abuse and compulsive gambling, which can have detrimental effects on their mental and physical health.

Hawai'i Pacific University has been in touch with PWN Global to share this resource that provides valuable insights into the importance of addressing men's mental health, breaking down societal stigmas, and creating an environment conducive to their mental well-being. 

Why is PWN Global sharing this? 

Our mission is to advance gender-balanced leadership. While our foucs is the support and development of women who are, or aspire to be, in leadership roles, we understand that this is only one piece of the puzzle.

As we work towards better gender-balanced leadership, even now we face age-old push back that we are all painfully familiar with - steroetyped thinking of what it is to be a 'man', the 'breadwinner' and so forth. 

There is a generation of men coming through the ranks, and some more enlightened men who are already in the mind-set, that seek equality. They want to be an integral part of raising their families; they want to share the financial load with their significant others. 

PWN Global had city networks in many different countries, and we are able to see the societal differences that exist. There are still many countries in which the male stereotype is so strong, that this new generation of men are struggling. This struggle is a big contributing factor to the increase in mental illness, so it is incumbent on us to share these resources. 

For that reason we are sharing the Hawai'i Pacific University resource guide as a great complementary resource for anyone who is putting in place concrete interventions that can help us advance gender balance. 

You can find a copy of the resource, here: The Importance of Men’s Mental Health Awareness

This guide provides detailed insights and resources on the following topics:

• Look into Men's Reluctance to Seek Mental Health Help
• Overview of the Impact of Mental Health on Men's Personal and Professional Lives
• Consequences of Ignoring Men's Mental Health
• Understanding the Physical Health Implications of Mental Health Issues
• The Effect of Mental Health Issues on Family and Relationships
• Strategies for Improving Men's Mental Health
• And much more!

Feel free to check out all the other online resources the guide provides here.

Date: October 2023

Author: Hawai'i Pacific University 

Copy edited by: Rebecca Fountain, Marketing Consultant, PWN Global