Advocate slams muted response to UK male health strategy

A mental health campaigner has condemned the "stunning silence" from mainstream media in the UK after the first-ever men's health strategy was revealed by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Speaking at an event in the East Midlands held on International Men's Day, as the new policy was revealed by the government, Northampton-based campaigner Ashley Riley said the lack of broad coverage was a sign of how far there is to go in opening up dialogue on men's health issues.

"Today the government have published an ambitious plan to tackle those mental health challenges, as well as improve physical health and reduce inequalities," he said. "Instead of the start of a desperately needed conversation, the response has been to end the conversation."

The new policy sets out a framework for providing "tailored" healthcare and support for men and boys facing physician and mental health challenges across England, with the ultimate aim of stopping preventable deaths.

According to the DHSC, men can be reluctant to seek help, and that, combined with a higher propensity to smoke, drink, gamble, and use drugs, can have a big impact on families, workplaces, and communities and is one reason why three-quarters of all suicides are males under 50.

The government has earmarked £3.6 million over the next three years for suicide prevention projects in England, targeting middle-aged men in areas of the country where suicide rates are particularly high.

That initiative includes a partnership with Premier League football and the Samaritans, part of a plan to tackle the stigma around men's mental health and address "unhealthy behaviours, loneliness and social isolation, and harmful societal norms" that prevent men from seeking help.

"This strategy marks a turning point - the first time we're taking comprehensive, coordinated action to address the health challenges facing men and boys," said Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who promised to deliver a men's health strategy just over a year ago, shortly after the Labour government came to power.

"Teaming up with the Premier League will harness the power of football to break down barriers and reach millions of men who might never walk through a GP's door," he added. "We're meeting men where they are and giving them the support they need to live longer, healthier lives."

The strategy also introduces a plan to improve prostate cancer care, including the development of home prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for those being monitored for the disease, which the government hopes will be available from 2027.

A £3 million pot will be invested in community-based men's health programmes, there will be men's health training for healthcare professionals through e-learning modules and resources, and a £200,000 trial of new brief interventions to address the rise in cocaine and alcohol-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths, particularly in older men.

The DHSC said it will also explore opportunities to allow men to access tailored information and support, as well as order relevant tests at home, as part of an expansion of the NHS App and the shift from hospital-based to home-based testing laid out in the NHS 10-Year Plan.

It is also looking at building an NHS 'HealthStore' to provide access to digital tools that can support men in achieving weight loss and preventing and managing type 2 diabetes, and 'virtual hospital' pathways for men with lower urinary tract symptoms and raised PSA levels.

A stakeholder group will oversee implementation of the strategy, with the government pledging to publish a report in 12 months to track progress with the implementation and to ensure accountability.

Riley, who has set up an online platform to support men called Blue Soul Shoes, said: "Male mental health is in crisis. It is destroying men, their relationships, their families, their businesses, and their communities."

While noting that the government's strategy is "very welcome," he added: "It is not acceptable and not good enough that a plan that challenges the cultural and stereotypical definition of being a man – physically and emotionally invincible – is being virtually ignored."

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