What do we know about men’s mental health in Australia (and what are we doing about it)?
The ALIVE National Centre is proud to present the next Ready, Set, Translate: The ALIVE Mental Health Research Virtual Café Translation Conversations, on Thursday 29th May at 1pm – 2pm (AEST).
Join Prof James Smith as he discuss about What do we know about men’s mental health in Australia (and what are we doing about it)?
Every year, one in every five men (1.78 million) experience mental illness. Yet, only 36% of Australian men aged 16-85 years who experience mental health symptoms access mental health care. We also know that seven Australian men die by suicide each day (the leading cause of death for 15-44 year old men), at a rate three times higher than for women. These observations are higher among men that have experienced marginalisation, racism or disadvantage. Men’s perceived ambivalence towards seeking help is insufficient to explain the patterns described above.
We now know that an intersectional lens that considers gender, age and culture is critical for better equipping health professionals to engage men more effectively; and that structural changes to the (mental) health system are urgently required to respond to the lived experiences of men’s mental health needs. This presentation will aim to unpack these considerations in greater detail, and point towards promising practice and potential policy levers for change.
About the speaker:
Professor James Smith is an applied public health researcher with a longstanding interest in health promotion, men’s health, and Indigenous health and wellbeing. He is a Matthew Flinders Professor (Health and Social Equity) and Co-Director of the Health Equity Impact Program within the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute at Flinders University based in Darwin, Northern Territory. He is also a Fellow and Life Member of the Australia Health Promotion Association. In 2024, he was awarded a prestigious Sax Institute Research Action Award for his significant impact on health policy, programs, and service delivery in Australia.
