HSE Health & Wellbeing hosted a webinar ‘Men’s Mental Health in these Challenging Times’ to mark International Men’s Day. The webinar was chaired by Fergal Fox, General Manager, Communications & Stakeholder Engagement, Health & Wellbeing. As part of the national #KeepWell resilience campaign, presentations were given and a panel of speakers discussed the impact of COVID-19 on specific groups of men such as farmers, young men and men who attend Men’s Sheds.
Speakers on the day included Dr David Meredith from Teagasc, Aisling McGrath who is working with the Irish Men’s Sheds Association on their Sheds for Life programme and Ian Power from SpunOut.ie and Text 50808. Videos of men themselves, speaking about their experiences and the impact of Covid-19 on their lives, were also shared and their stories got a very strong positive reaction from the participants.
Helen Deely, Assistant National Director for HSE Health and Wellbeing welcomed the webinar said: “International Men’s Day is a special opportunity to recognise the significant contribution that men and boys make to their families, friends, communities, workplaces and society. It is also a time, especially in the context of COVID-19, to highlight some of the key issues facing the health and wellbeing of males and to provide practical support and positive encouragement to overcome these issues.”
The Minister for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan, addressed the webinar and said: “On International Men’s Day it is important to acknowledge the role that men and boys have played in the response to COVID-19. Our #KeepWell campaign encourages everyone to stay connected. With the stress and strain that comes with COVID-19, this is now more important than ever, especially with the most vulnerable groups of men. I would like to encourage everyone to look out for, and check in with, the men in their lives and communities.”
Ireland was the first country to have a National Men’s Health Policy in 2009 and this work continues through the work of the HSE ‘Healthy Ireland Men’ Action Plan 2017 – 2021. This plan focuses on promoting men’s health through a network of partnerships that engage with a variety of subgroups of men.
The panel discussion was Chaired by Biddy O’Neill from Healthy Ireland in the Department of Health and participants heard inputs from Mental Health Ireland’s Martin Rogan, Colin Regan from the GAA, Colin Fowler from the Men’s Health Forum in Ireland and Dr. Noel Richardson, at the National Centre for Men’s Health in IT Carlow. Noel, who has been working with the HSE on the delivery of their men’s health action plan said: “It is vitally important that more targeted supports are directed at the most vulnerable population groups of men at the moment. Small things can make a big difference. Each of us can play our part by looking closely at our own communities and reaching out to help in whatever way we can, to those most in need.”
For a look back at the event see HSE Health and Wellbeing YouTube page and the full webinar recording here.