Men need bloke-friendly services, says Special Envoy for Men's Health, Dan Repacholi
Services need to be more “bloke-friendly” to help tackle the problem of male suicide, according to Australia’s new Special Envoy for men’s health, the Hon Dan Repacholi MP.
Speaking to Life in Mind during Men’s Health Week, a Government-funded knowledge portal focused on suicide prevention, Mr Repacholi said:
“Men and boys face some pretty tough stats, higher rates of suicide, substance abuse, and preventable chronic diseases. Too many feel pressure to keep quiet about what they’re going through.”
A strong voice for men's health
“My job is to be a strong voice in Government for men’s health. That means listening to communities, talking to experts and working with Ministers to make sure men’s health - physical and mental - is front and centre in policy decisions. It’s also about raising awareness, breaking down stigma and making sure support is accessible where it’s needed.”
Asked what the key priorities for Government should be to support men’s mental health and prevent male suicide, Mr Repacholi highlighted the need for more services to be tailored to the needs and preferences of men and boys.
”First, we need strong, local mental health services that men feel comfortable using,” he said, before adding that the sector was already doing incredible work.
Meet men where they are
“Keep talking to us,” he said. “Tell us what’s working and what’s not. Help us make services more bloke-friendly, language matters, environment matters. And keep pushing for collaboration. No one organisation can do this alone. If we’re all pulling in the same direction, we can make a real difference”
Mr Repacholi acknowledged the value of programs that meet men where they are and highlighted the need to tackle the underlying drivers of male suicide. He said:
“We need to invest in programs that connect with men where they are, at work, in sports clubs, in the pub. We also need to tackle the drivers of poor mental health: unemployment, relationship breakdown, and isolation. And we must listen to people with lived experience to guide the way.”
Mr Repacholi highlighted the specific challenges of men in rural communities who can face additional barriers to accessing services.
Making Services Bloke-Friendly
For more information on “bloke-friendly” services, download our Making Services More Male Friendly Guide.
For frontline services wanting to learn more about male-friendly approaches to suicide prevention, AMHF has developed the Reaching Men workshop.
Tell us what you think about the Special Envoy for Men’s Health Role
We're keen to hear what people think about the appointment of a Special Envoy for Men’s Health and how we can make sure the role makes a difference to men's health.
We are running a short survey for members and supporters and we'd like to hear your views. You can also share the survey link with others who support men's health if you wish.