International Men's Day: Mental Health Activists & Organisations

Today, 19 November, is International Men’s day.

Let's use this day to raise awareness about mental health issues among men, especially as suicide continues to be the biggest killer of men under the age of 45. I would also like to bring particular attention to queer men, trans men, Black men, men of colour, disabled men, and all men who are otherwise less privileged in the system that we live in.

The following activists and organisations are doing the work to deconstruct the meaning of being man, rejecting toxic masculinity, and providing vital services for men's mental health.

The Man Cave is an Australian based organisation working in schools to empower boys to become great men by providing them and their communities with impactful programs, role models and resources. They envision a world where every man has healthy relationships, contributes to his community and reaches his full potential and their 3 full-day workshops develop the skills and tools in boys to learn how to process and talk about their emotions and their own version of healthy masculinity.

Find out more on their website or follow their Instagram.

Black Men Heal provides access to mental health treatment, psycho-education, and community resources to men of colour. They offer 8 free therapy sessions to local men of colour with qualified therapists of colour and in exchange, the men commit to share/discuss their experience with 8 other black men, thus creating a safe space for another man to step in.

Find out more on their website or follow their Instagram.

Growing up, rapper Professor Green never heard the phrase 'mental health', but when he was 24 his dad took his own life. This started a journey towards a greater awareness about mental illness and the need to talk about mental suffering. He now openly shares his own personal experiences with mental health, including anxiety that he has dealt with since childhood, to encourage more people to open up and experience the life-changing benefits of therapy. He also speaks about self harm in men and drug and alcohol abuse.

He is also a patron of CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) a UK based movement against suicide. Every week 125 people in the UK take their own lives and 75% of these deaths are male, CALM exists to change this.

Everyman is a US based programme that helps men connect and help each other to lead more fulfilling lives. It focuses on understanding and acting productively on your emotions instead of burying or redirecting them. They are currently running an interactive behavioural curriculum which is needed now more than ever as people across the world have suffered major personal, professional and financial losses over the last several months, often on top of pre-existing feelings of sadness, loneliness or disconnection.

Listen to their podcast, sign up to their newsletter or find out more about their mission on their website.

Alexander Leon is an LGBT+ rights, anti-racism and mental health activist who addresses mental health issues within the LGBTQ+ and minority communities. He works at the Kaleidoscope Trust in the United Kingdom, a leading charity working to uphold equality in human rights for LGBTQ+ people across the world, he's also a journalist, campaigner, and YouTuber.

Follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

In a powerful Ted talk, educator Eldra Jackson III shared how he unlearned toxic masculinity through Inside Circle, an organisation that leads group therapy for incarcerated men. It's mission is to reduce prison violence, lower recidivism and guide inmates through healing that will allow for meaningful lives after release.

Watch the Ted Talk & visit the website to learn more.