What is masculinity?
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A workshop held at Ballarat Community Health on Monday challenged participants to re-shape their views on what it means to be a man.
David Pearce, the driver of preventative mental health program On The Low Down, framed vulnerability as a strength and emotional acknowledgement and expression as an essential part of living.
"Some elements of traditional ideas of masculinity are great, there is nothing wrong with mateship and being strong, but we can go too far with the 'she'll be right' attitude. Not talking about our emotions can be counterproductive," he said.
The Ballarat event titled Healthy Men, Healthy Communities was one of a series of workshops run throughout regional Victoria to change behaviour to support better mental health for men and community well-being.
We all experience adversity and can grow from adversity, can become better, more accomplished, more useful men through talking about our emotions.
- David Pearce, On The Low Down
It addressed the social and cultural factors that influence well-being as a preventative approach to mental ill-health and comes after a number of high-profile suicides in the region, including AFL legend Danny Frawley.
"Whilst there has been a great deal of highly valuable research and investment that has gone into understanding the biology of mental health, in many instances the social and cultural drivers continue to stare us straight in the face," Mr Pearce said.
Statistics show suicide rates almost double outside of metropolitan areas, men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women and suicide is the leading cause of death in men aged 15 to 44.
The male suicide rate in Ballarat is 30 per cent above the state average, according to a new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.
Mr Pearce said we need to be asking ourselves what are the differences between the behaviours of men and women and the difference between regional and metropolitan areas that is driving these statistics.
"Women can be called all sorts of horrible names for expressing themselves emotionally, but being any less of a woman is not one of them. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for men... Emotional expression is something really valuable and something we should all do," he said.
"Secondly, people living in regional and remote areas can often find it hard to access important resources if they are even aware of them at all in the first place. Services exist but we can only access them if we know where they are, what they are and how to access them."
See David Pearce share his thoughts on preventative mental health on video below.
Men attending the Ballarat workshop were equipped with tools on how to be there for a mate and for themselves, provided with information on local mental health support services and best referral pathways and given advice on how sleep, nutrition, exercise, getting out in nature, being social, maintaining an observational mindset and relating to ourselves can support good mental health.
Mr Pearce said these were tools to address the root causes of mental ill-health, not just the symptoms.
"A lot of men are struggling with concepts of masculinity, with thoughts like 'if I cry and burden other people with my problems that makes me a lesser man'. That is the most important thing, to realise that is completely incorrect," he said.
"We all experience adversity and can grow from adversity, can become better, more accomplished, more useful men through talking about our emotions. That makes us better men and better in our community. That is what communities like Ballarat want to see in their men."
A state government funded place-based suicide prevention trial is currently underway in Ballarat.
It brings together health and welfare workers, people with lived experience and community leaders to find gaps in services and determine preventative actions.
Mr Pearce said there was need for more investment in preventative mental health infrastructure across Victoria.
"Victoria has the lowest per capita investment in any individual in mental health across all of Australia, 39 per cent lower than the national average. The good news is we have had the Royal Commision into Mental Health with the interim findings coming out in November and there are lots of small prevention initiatives that are gaining a lot of traction," he said.
A Suicide Prevention Australia survey released earlier this year showed almost two in three regional Australians personally know someone who has completed suicide and are also more likely to be worried about the suicide risk in their communities than those in metropolitan areas.
Ballarat Community Health chief executive Sean Duffy said we need events like the workshop on Monday to spark conversations.
"We know that men need other men to support them, we need men in the workplace and in the community to be vulnerable and to rethink some out of date ideas around masculinity," he said.
"We need men to be ok with crying and we need men to ask for help if they need it. We need to continue the investment to elevate men's health to a level that generates action, increased investment and specialist services. Men commit suicide 5 times a greater rate than females in the Ballarat Community. This is a significant crisis needing significant support."
READ MORE: How can we lower Ballarat's suicide toll?
On The Low Down has also hosted Healthy Men, Healthy Communities workshops in Torquay, Warrnambool and Portland this month.
The organisation is supported by the Bank Of Melbourne Foundation and was hosted in Ballarat by Ballarat Community Health and Uniting Ballarat.
Visit the On The Low Down website, onthelowdown.com.au/, or social media pages for more information.
If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 000.
There is professional support for help. The key message is that you are not alone.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 for 24 hours/seven days a week crisis support or lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au
Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467
Mens line: 1300 789 978 or mensline.org.au
Survivors of Suicide: 0449 913 535
Relationships Australia: 1800 050 321
headspace Ballarat (for 12-25s and parent support): 5304 4777
Solider On: 1300 620 380
Ballarat Community Health: 5338 4500
QLife: 1800 184 527 (Support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex)