July 5, 2021
... to co-develop new men’s mental health initiative
Men at risk of becoming socially isolated following the global pandemic will be able to access new ways of receiving support for their mental health, thanks to Movember.
The global men’s health charity has announced that they will be investing a total of AUD $3.22 million into 11 projects across Australia, Canada, the UK and Ireland, as part of the Movember’s Social Connections Challenge.
One of those projects is “Storytelling for Justice: A virtual interactive art and story gallery to support social connection for men in prison in British Columbia, Canada”
Movember launched the Social Connections Challenge in 2020, with the aim of identifying strategies that will strengthen the social connections of men who are struggling with isolation and poor mental health, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Results of a study commissioned by Movember in May 2020 found that nearly a quarter of men globally (23 per cent) reported their mental health had worsened in the first six weeks of the pandemic.
Brendan Maher, Global Mental Health Director at Movember, said: “This was an opportunity to shake things up and identify the amazing ways that people have been keeping connected using technology during the global pandemic.
‘We were looking for fresh, innovative technology-based ideas to address the problem of loneliness, isolation and improve social connectedness in men and strengthen their overall mental health. For this challenge, we prioritised men who are at greater risk of social isolation because of where they live, their socio-economic status or cultural background.
“We’re really looking forward to working with our new partners to develop initiatives that will support the mental health of men who are at risk of becoming socially isolated.”
- For more information about the Social Connections Challenge, and to see the full list of funded projects, please visit https://movember.com/SCC.
- For more information about Storytelling for Justice, please contact Dr. Helen Brown or Kelsey Timler
