Sad Blokes: Men, Depression and Suicide - Auckland North Shore 28 November

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REDUCE THE HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION & SUICIDE IN MEN?

It's time to take depression and suicide in men out of the too hard basket​

Reducing suicide in men requires a co-ordinated community-wide response​

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

An opportunity for a day of learning with internationally respected specialist on suicide in men, Barry Taylor

• How does the way that men are raised affect their ability to deal with their depression or ability to ask for help?

• How does culture, age, sexuality and ableness influence men's understanding of what it means to be a man?

• What are key messages we need to convey to men that will contribute to positive mental wellbeing?

• What is masked depression? How is sadness and depression commonly expressed in men? What is Sad Rage?

• Who are the groups of men that are most at risk of suicide?

• What are the different factors and characteristics we need to consider across the age span? What are the unique issues for young men, middle aged and older men?

• What do you do when a man denies anything is wrong when clearly it is?

• What do we know from the evidence that will really make a difference in supporting the depressed or suicidal man?

  Reports of high profile men experiencing depression or having died by suicide are sadly becoming regular news stories. These stories represent only a small number of men who live daily with depression or have thoughts of killing themselves. Across most ethnic and age groupings men are over-represented in measures of poor mental health including suicide and depression. This is a serious challenge not only for the men but for their whānau, hapū, iwi, workplaces and communities.

  Take the opportunity to hear from an internationally respected commentator and suicidologist BarryTaylor as he unpacks the varying responses by men to depression and suicide and how they make sense of, and deal with, their depression or suicidal distress. Based on 30 years’ experience of working with men who are depressed and suicidal and drawing on the latest international research findings, Barry offers suggestions on strength-based approaches that enhance men’s wellbeing and strategies that assist men to navigate through times of distress and crisis. Barry also offers his personal insights as a man who has lived with depression for many years.

  ​Questioning some of the widely accepted views of why men are over represented in poor mental health outcomes, the workshop will use a social determinants framework which can be applied in community, support and clinical settings.
  
  Participants will analyse the impact that the changes in society’s expectations of men, their traditional roles and notions of masculinity over the past 50 years has had on men's mental wellbeing. The workshop will provide a rationale for why the intersection of gender, ethnicity, age and sexuality must be considered in any mental wellbeing program, risk assessment or therapeutic and support intervention with men.​

• Explore how social, cultural and psychological factors contribute to depression and suicide in men
• Update your knowledge about community strategies that have been shown to be effective in improving the wellbeing of men
• Understand more how men make sense and deal with their depression or suicidality
• Enhance your skills to support a depressed or suicidal man
• Identitfy opportunities for local community action to respond to depression and suicide in men

With men being reluctant users of health or mental health services, research shows that the opportunities to engage with depressed or suicidal men is more likely in non-health settings. Having 'first point call' workers who are confident and competent in being able to respond in a helpful supportive and being able to refer to other services if necessary has proven to be highly effective. Previous workshops have had representatives from the following sectors and all agreed that the Sad Blokes workshop was relevant and helpful in their work.

• Workplaces
• Educational and training organisations
• School counsellors, deans, pastoral care
• Student health services, tertiary chaplaincy
• Churches
• Sporting clubs
• Support services - e.g.Financial & budgeting services
• Welfare agencies
• Citizen Advice Bureaus
• Iwi support services
• Gambling support services
• Relationship counselling
• Domestic violence support
• Police, Corrections, Juvenile Justice
• Frontline Government Services - e.g. WINZ
• Victim Support
• Youth Workers
• Aged Care Workers
• Rural support agencies
• Loss and Grief services - especially bereaved by suicide

Workshop Facilitator - Barry Taylor