Got the ‘balls’ to tackle depression?

A new campaign urging men to ‘have the balls’ to take action on depression and anxiety, while reminding them that a real man looks out for his mates, was launched last week.

Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, and beyondblue chairman, Jeff Kennett, were joined by Dr Brian Ironwood in the Mural Hall at Parliament House last Wednesday for the launch of beyondblue’s new campaign, Man Therapy.

While Dr Ironwood isn’t a registered practitioner,  he takes seriously his role as the face of beyondblue’s Man Therapy campaign, which aims to improve men’s wellbeing and reduce the much higher rate of male suicide in Australia compared to women.

He is a straight talking, irreverent, ‘man’s man’ whose character has been created to host the Man Therapy website and urge Australian men to take charge of their mental health.

The Man Therapy campaign is the first of its kind in Australia and urges men to have the balls to take action on depression and anxiety while reminding them that a real man looks out for his mates.

In Australia, one in eight men are likely to experience depression in their lifetime, and one in five men are likely to experience anxiety. These rates are lower than women, but Australian men are more than three times more likely to die by suicide than women, with at least 1,727 men dying from suicide in 2011.

Data also shows that men are much less likely to seek treatment with only 27% of men who have recently experienced a mental health condition getting help for it compared to 40% of women.

The humorous Man Therapy ads will appear on all media including television, radio, print, social media and online, with the no-nonsense Dr Ironwood spearheading the campaign. The ads will run until mid 2014.

The campaign messages will direct people to Dr Ironwood’s website, www.mantherapy.org.au, where he will guide them through activities to assess their wellbeing, offer answers to frequently asked questions and advise them on how to take action to deal with depression and anxiety.

Man Therapy is a multi-million dollar campaign that has been funded entirely by the federal government in response to Australia’s male suicide problem.

Man Therapy is based on a similar program launched in America last year by the Colarado Office of Suicide Prevention, Cactus Communications and the Carson J Spencer Foundation and has been licensed by beyondblue and recreated by marmalade?? for the Australian market.

beyondblue chairman, Jeff Kennett, said it was difficult for many men to admit they have depression or anxiety because they associate it with weakness.

“We know Australian men can think that having these conditions means they are not being strong enough to handle the issues in their life,” Mr Kennett said.

“Men can see support seeking as a failure, but in fact it is the right and manly thing to do. We have created mantherapy.org.au to change these attitudes and create a better understanding of good mental health.

“If men do not understand the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety, they are unlikely to know when the crisis point is reached. The fact is even the strongest men can and do develop depression or anxiety in the same way that they can develop a physical illness, but life can improve dramatically with the right action.”

beyondblue chief executive, Kate Carnell AO, said along with Dr Ironwood, Man Therapy also incorporates real life stories of recovery, linking physical symptoms to emotional issues with a focus on conversational language.

“We hope that Man Therapy will be effective in bringing men up to speed about depression and anxiety and give them a way to discuss it with friends,” she said.

“Dr Ironwood is a quintessentially Aussie bloke, but unlike many blokes, he understands the importance of good mental health. We hope Man Therapy will not only improve understanding of depression and anxiety, but reduce embarrassment and shame, which can often stop men talking about how they’re feeling and stop them taking action.”