The power of the moustache as an awareness tool will now support men’s mental health initiatives in Canada
Movember Canada announces today that it will be addressing mental health, in addition to prostate cancer, as part of its Movember 2012 campaign.
“CMHA is working to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and promotes mental health for all, but there is still reluctance, especially among men, to talk about their mental health,” says Peter Coleridge, National CEO, CMHA. “Men’s mental health issues have been called a silent crisis, but now a much needed spotlight will be turned on men’s mental health.”
As part of Movember Canada’s goal to educate men about their health, they have included additional men’s health resources on their website. This information is geared to help men be more proactive about their health. Movember Canada has listed CMHA as a mental health and mental illness resource on its men’s health poster and on its website and directs the public to the national CMHA website for more information.
“Movember’s new focus on male mental health will further support CMHA’s work to help shift public perceptions about mental health and mental illness,” adds Coleridge.
How you can get involved
The public can support men’s mental health initiatives by signing up to be a Movember member, forming fundraising teams and rallying their friends and family to get involved. For more information, go to: http://ca.movember.com/.
A little Movember History
Since 2004, the Movember Foundation has run Movember events to raise the profile of men’s health issues. The Movember campaign has spread from Australia to South Africa, Europe and North America. In 2007, events were launched in Ireland, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan and the United States. In 2012, there will be official Movember campaigns in 21 countries around the world. As of 2011, Canadians were the largest contributors to the Movember charities of any nation.
Statistics:
- Mental health issues affect over 3.4 million Canadian men and boys each year
- 4 out of 5 suicides among young people in Canada are committed by men
- 1 in 4 cancer patients experience clinical depression
- The risk of suicide in men with prostate cancer is over 4 times that of a similarly aged man without prostate cancer.
- Mental health issues are the second largest threat to male health after accidents.
