Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK, yet talking about mental health remains problematic for many, as stigma continues to be a major barrier to finding support.
Two Kirklees based organisations, Men’s Talk and Anti Stigma Kirklees (ASK), will launch the #ImSpartacus campaign on World Mental Health Day (10 October) to address this barrier of stigma.
"Stigma about Mental Health affects us all and can stop us talking to others about how we feel and getting the help and support we need.
“We want the people of Kirklees to feel able to discuss their wellbeing openly and to challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions around mental health” - David Hegarty, ASK Project Manager
Stigma is one of the key areas addressed by Men’s Talk, Community Links Engagement and Recovery Service’s innovative performance project for men, who have experience of mental health issues.
“The aim behind Men’s Talk is to encourage men to talk about their mental health and to help them find the support that they need. When we went into lockdown we couldn’t make theatre anymore, so we decided we’d learn how to produce films.” - Chris, member of the group
It was during a meeting of the Community Links Engagement and Recovery (CLEAR) men’s group that the subject of stigma came up. One of the men suggested that the best way to reduce stigma was to ask men to say that they had mental health issues.
“You know, like I’m Spartacus”
“It is such a simple idea, being visible, showing that mental health can affect anyone and that there is no shame in having mental health issues.”
Men’s Talk Digital got to work, persuading other men to share their message on camera. This led to partnering with ASK and David Hegarty, who also appeared in the video.
“We found other men who were willing to join in, but others didn’t feel comfortable – which kind of proves the point. No-one would be worried about admitting they’d broken their leg but men still feel shame about admitting that they have mental health issues.
“We’re hoping that people will like our Facebook post and re-tweet the message using #ImSpartacus; men could even post the message themselves!” David Hegarty
The film, featuring men from across Kirklees will be shared on social media.
ASK is currently looking for more Community Champions to help with their work.
For information about Men’s Talk, email Stuart Hawkes - stuart.hawkes@commlinks.co.uk
- ASK is a project to tackle Mental Health Discrimination and Stigma in communities in Kirklees.
- CLEAR is a group based recovery service, providing support to people across Kirklees.
- Men’s Talk is a performance project for men who have experienced mental health issues.