Are mental health issues among men, boys overlooked?

While the discourse around gender equality is gaining momentum mental health crises among men and boys are being ignored according to a UKbased psychology expertIn his latest book Benjamin Hine professor of Applied Psychology at the University of West London UWL UK argued that men struggle to negotiate harmful notions of masculinity and are not included in conversations around genderHine stated that body image fatherhood and sexual relationships are the key reasons stressing out men and boys He called for addressing their concerns without framing them as ldquothe problemrdquo The book also explored a range of other issues like education gaming addiction and homelessness most of these issues are often ignored because men are too readily seen as lsquothe problemrsquo rather than lsquohaving problemsrsquo Hine saidAn urgent shift in thinking is needed to help men who struggle said the professor while stressing the need to boost cultural and gender inclusivity evidencebased approaches and early intervention to improve gender equalityldquoIn todays rapidly shifting societal landscape where the discourse around gender equality has gained significant momentum the unique set of challenges faced by men and boys frequently goes unnoticed or is overshadowedrdquo Hine saidldquoMen like all individuals are complex human beings with their own unique struggles vulnerabilities and challengesrdquoCrucially inclusive intersectional approaches for men and boys of all backgrounds including across ethnic religious and gendersexual identities should be part of natural thinking for all organisations including an immediate priority on menrsquos mental health and high suicide rate said HineHine noted that making young men feel lsquoexcluded or alienatedrsquo from gender discussions which often justifiably focus on critical issues facing lsquowomen and marginalised groupsrsquo ldquocan leave men feeling resentful and lead to them feeling lonely alienated depressed and engaging with extreme views especially when they seek solace in toxic online spacesrdquoPart of the problem he argues is that issues said to affect women and those that impact men have often been rigidly separated when they are in fact closely linked the Professor saidThe book urges the public policymakers practitioners and other key stakeholders to explore and support policies and practices that promote male wellbeingThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever