James Evans MS advocates for men's mental health in Senedd debate

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James Evans MS advocates for men's mental health in Senedd debate ahead of International Men's Day

Transcript

00:00 opportunity to recognize and celebrate

00:02 the remarkable contribution made by men and boys in our society

00:06 and across the world.

00:07 It's a day dedicated to highlight

00:09 the issues that affect men, such as the high rates of suicide

00:13 and poor academic performance.

00:15 There are also issues with physical health,

00:17 with men being more likely to get lung cancer and heart

00:20 disease.

00:21 There also can be a lack of willingness

00:24 to seek help and talk about problems,

00:26 and that is something that needs to be addressed.

00:29 Mental health issues amongst men is a topic rarely spoken about,

00:33 and I welcome the opportunity today to highlight this.

00:36 According to a report, one in every eight men

00:39 experience a symptom of mental health,

00:42 and 35.2% of men believe that they

00:45 have had a diagnosable mental health

00:47 condition at some point in their lives,

00:49 and that statistic is shocking.

00:51 And it does highlight the grave impacts

00:53 that mental health can have on men's lives.

00:57 Men also experience social marginalization

00:59 in different aspects of life, including

01:03 homelessness, young boys going into care, school exclusions,

01:07 and men in custody.

01:09 Men can also be victims of violence, crime,

01:13 including bullying, sexual violence, gang violence,

01:16 and other criminal activities.

01:18 Additionally, men face unique challenges as parents,

01:22 particularly as new and separated fathers,

01:25 and boys and men are often portrayed negatively

01:27 in the media when they're separated from a partner.

01:31 But why is that?

01:32 Men have an additional role with addressing domestic violence

01:36 and teaching younger generations of men

01:39 about positive relationships with women.

01:42 And if we are to address domestic violence with women,

01:45 we need to educate men about the role

01:47 that they play in addressing this issue.

01:51 But a key focus of International Men's Day this year

01:54 is tackling male suicide in the Western world.

01:57 Men die by suicide three to four times more often than women.

02:01 The disparity may be in due part to a greater reluctance

02:05 amongst men to seek out mental health services.

02:09 And there is an expectation around masculine behavior

02:12 that often says to men, you need to man up and not

02:14 talk about your experiences.

02:16 And that is a great shame.

02:19 It's a well-known fact that men in rural communities

02:22 and in the farming industry, it's

02:24 a male-dominated industry.

02:25 And they are at increased risks of suicide.

02:28 I think we all know somebody in our own farming communities

02:31 who we've lost through suicide.

02:34 Our farming industry has experienced turbulent times

02:36 over the past few years.

02:37 And the expectations on our farmers is greater.

02:42 As well as being one of the most rewarding professions,

02:44 it is also, I believe, one of the loneliest.

02:47 And it's also one of the most unpredictable

02:50 when farm viability is questioned time and time

02:53 again.

02:54 I'm deeply concerned about the rise of suicides

02:56 in our young farmers.

02:57 A Farm Safety Foundation is the poor issue

03:00 of mental health in there.

03:01 And they said that mental health is

03:03 faced by 94% of farmers under the age of 40.

03:08 94% of farmers under the age of 40

03:11 experience a mental health issue.

03:13 That statistic should alarm anybody.

03:15 But I do think to address this, it

03:19 is about effective communication,

03:21 not just in farming, but in all industries.

03:24 It's an integral aspect of addressing mental health

03:27 in both men and women.

03:30 However, I said earlier, societal norms

03:31 often dictate that men should suppress our emotions.

03:35 And that should be done from a young age.

03:36 I can remember myself being told not

03:38 to talk about your emotions.

03:40 And that wasn't said by my father.

03:41 It was actually said by my grandmother,

03:43 that men didn't cry.

03:44 Men didn't have emotions.

03:46 You shouldn't show as a sign of weakness.

03:48 And I think that's still ingrained in some people today.

03:52 It is a harmful aspect of male upbringing.

03:55 And it can prevent men and boys seeking out

03:58 the help they want.

04:00 And that is why we do see a lot of men losing their lives

04:03 to mental health issue.

04:04 We do see as well that mothers tend to have more conversations

04:09 with their daughters and their sons.

04:10 Mothers tend to encourage their daughters

04:12 to express their emotions, to talk about how they feel.

04:15 But I don't sometimes think, from my experience,

04:17 that that was explained to me.

04:19 A lot of my friends will say the same,

04:20 that they wasn't encouraged to speak out.

04:24 It does affect self-esteem of young boys

04:26 and their communication skills and our willingness

04:29 to communicate with health care professionals in later life.

04:33 How many times have we heard men say,

04:35 oh, I don't go to the doctor.

04:36 I don't seek them out.

04:37 Because they just never in a younger life

04:39 were encouraged to do so.

04:41 I said this could have serious implications

04:43 for their physical health and also their mental health.

04:46 Therefore, it's imperative that we

04:48 create a safe and supportive environment for boys and men

04:52 to express their emotions and seek help without the fear

04:56 of judgment and stigma.

04:57 I want to talk about a charity that's really close to me,

05:03 and it's the Men's Shed Movement.

05:05 It's a global initiative that was started in Australia

05:08 that helps connect men with each other

05:10 in safe and supportive environments.

05:12 The movement aims to tackle the issue of social isolation

05:15 and loneliness amongst men, which, as I said,

05:18 can often lead to those physical and mental health problems.

05:21 Men's Sheds provide a space where

05:23 men can come together to work on projects, learn new skills,

05:26 and simply enjoy each other's company.

05:29 I went to one Men's Shed in Ustragunlais,

05:31 where they're all reworking wood.

05:32 It was actually a really good place.

05:33 And I think it was a very good laugh, actually,

05:35 and a very good cup of tea as well.

05:37 But one of the key benefits of the Men's Shed Movement

05:40 is it gives men that sense of purpose,

05:43 that sense of belonging again.

05:45 By working on those projects together,

05:48 it's a lovely thing to have that sense of accomplishment

05:50 and pride.

05:51 And when many people finish their working life as well,

05:53 they're not quite sure what to do.

05:55 And a Men's Shed gives you that opportunity

05:57 to go there and do that.

06:00 But it also encourages men to open up

06:03 about their feelings as well.

06:04 There's nobody else there.

06:06 And it encourages them to talk about what they're feeling,

06:09 how they're feeling.

06:10 And the people there are trained to actually encourage

06:12 men to talk if they want to.

06:14 You don't have to, but you can talk if you want to.

06:18 It does break down the barriers that

06:19 prevent men from seeking help.

06:21 And I'd like to hear from the government a bit more

06:23 about what support they can give to Men's Sheds across Wales

06:26 as well, because I do think they are vitally important.

06:28 There is a great opera on at the moment.

06:34 It's called "Shoulder to Shoulder."

06:36 And I'd encourage anybody across the chamber

06:39 to go and watch it when it comes to Cardiff or your area.

06:41 And that was actually inspired by Men's Sheds

06:45 and actually highlighting the issues there.

06:47 And I've been to watch it.

06:48 And it was one of the things-- you'll cry in it,

06:50 but you'll also laugh in it.

06:52 But it's really poignant and actually really

06:54 does explain the challenges that men face.

06:58 But it was called "Shoulder to Shoulder"

06:59 to reference the fact that so many conversations that men

07:03 have tend to happen when you're shoulder

07:06 to shoulder with someone.

07:07 They don't happen when you have eye-to-eye contact.

07:10 And I said it's currently touring around.

07:12 And I would recommend every member, Deputy Llywydd,

07:14 that they go and see it.

07:16 So to conclude, I'd like to thank

07:19 the chamber for this opportunity today

07:21 to speak about this important topic.

07:23 I don't think we get the opportunity enough

07:25 to raise the issues that men face.

07:27 That's not to do down any other group that we talk about in

07:30 here, but I think to talk about men's issues,

07:32 to talk about the issues they face,

07:34 will give some men out there in Wales the courage

07:37 to talk about their problems, talk about their health

07:40 issues, and how they can collectively

07:41 come together to address it.

07:43 Diolch.

07:45 Mawra Gwimfo.

07:47 Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.

07:48 And I welcome the opportunity to speak

07:50 on this important debate about the mental and physical health

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