This talk/workshop was presented at the Neighbourhood Houses Conference in George Town, Tasmania on 28th September 2017. It was delivered by Glen Poole, Development Officer the Australian Men's Health Forum (AMHF) and focuses on the social determinants of men's health; the barriers that can prevent men accessing services and the common ingredients found in projects that engage with men effectively. Engaging men in Neighbourhood Houses can sometimes require different approaches and ways of working. Some Neighbourhood Houses are looking to engage more men as service users or volunteers, and this session will look at how we may work to include more men in what we do. Glen will provide an overview of some of the key social issues than men and boys face and outline the common practices of male-friendly services, based on national and international research and best practice. Glen Poole is the Development Officer for the Australian Men’s Health Forum, the peak body for male health in Australia focusing on the social issues that shape men and boys’ health and wellbeing. He has 20 years experience working with men and boys in the UK and Australia and is founder of the Stop Male Suicide project

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2. By Glen Poole, Development Officer, AMHF
Engaging Men in Neighbourhood Houses

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The peak body for male health
in Australia focusing on the
social issues that shape men
and boys’ health and wellbeing.
What is the Australian Men’s Health Forum?

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“Those most at risk of premature death and illness include Indigenous males,
males from rural and remote areas; those with blue collar backgrounds; males
with mental illness; war veterans; gay, transgender and intersex people;
males with disabilities; socially isolated and non-English speaking males.”
Male health in Australia, a call to action (AMHF position paper 2016)
We care about men in all their diversity

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Men’s health: it’s not a battle of the sexes!

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500 people a week
die prematurely,
nearly two thirds
are male
1 in 4 males die
before they reach
65 (and 1 in 7
females)
7 out of 10 young
people who die
each year are male
8 people a day die
by suicide, six are
men and boys
96% of people who
die at work are
men
73% of people who
die in transport
accidentsare male
4 times more men
under 65 die from
heart disease than
women
100 more men than
women die from
cancer every week
Indigenous males
die 10 years
younger thanNon-
Indigenous males
4 times more
research funding is
given to women’s
health
10 Top Male Health Issues

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What are the social determinants of health?

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What are the social determinants of health?

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WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION CANADA
The social gradient Income and Income Distribution
Early Life Early Childhood Development / Education
Social Exclusion Social Exclusion
Work Employment and Working Conditions
Unemployment Unemployment and Job Security
Social Support Social Safety Network
Food Food Insecurity
Transportation Housing
Addiction Health Services
Stress Gender, Disability, Race,Aboriginal status
What are the social determinants of health?

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How significant are the social determinants of health?

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Boys'
Education Fatherhood
Work
Social
Isolation
Access to
services
Some key determinant’s of Australian Men’s Health

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Schools
produce
better
outcomes
for girls than
boys
Better
educational
outcomes
=
better health
outcomes
Why is boys’ education a social determinant of men’s health

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Involved Dads
=
Better health
outcomes for
boys
Being an
Involved Dad
=
Better health
outcomes for
men
Why is fatherhood a social determinant of men’s health?

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UNEMPLOYMENT
impacts Men’s Health
more than Women’s Health
EMPLOYMENT
improves Men’s Health
more than Women’s Health
WORKPLACES
Men experience more
workplace injuries and deaths
WORKPLACES
Can be a great vehicle for
promoting men’s health
Why is work a social determinant of men’s health?

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Services may
be less likely
to reach out to
men.
Men are less
likely to access
a broad range
of services.
Why is access to services a social determinant of men’s health?

16. Don’t be fooled, loneliness affects men too by Dr Roger Patulny, Senior Lecturer at the University of Wollongong, Australia
(The Conversation, July 11, 2013 )
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“loneliness
exacerbates ill health
and shortens life
expectancies”
"loneliness is
associated with
physical [and]
mental health
problems"
“dominant ‘feeling
rules’ prevent men
from seeking out
social support”
"Australian men
endure serious
loneliness for longer
periods than women”
“separated men
experience less
social support than
separated women”
“older men spend
less time in social
contact than women
when they retire”
“the health
implications of
loneliness for men
remain unaddressed”
Why is social isolation a determinant of men’s health?

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How do we make our services more male-friendly?

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Do men want to engage with our services?

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Female-
Friendly
Services
Social
Conditioning
Negative
attitudes about
men
Failure to
focus on men's
needs
Lack of
positive gender
discourse
Stigma
Social
Isolation
No space for
men to D.I.Y.
Strategic
Barriers
Failure to see
"Men HAVE
Problems"
10 Barriers That Can Prevent Men From Engaging With Services

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#1: Female-Friendly Services
“Many spaces where
services are delivered are
‘feminine’ and frontline
staff are more frequently
women, which can create
the perception that
services are for women”.
Samaritans: Men,
Suicide and Society

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#2: Social Conditioning of Men and Boys
“Gender socialisation not only
encourages men to perform risk-
taking behaviours but also make
it harder for them to ask for
help.”
European Men's Health Forum:
Barriers To Better Health

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“Our advisors highlighted the
common belief that boys in general
are “a problem”. population group
for which society lacks tolerance.
This view was said to militate
against the provision of sensitive
care and support for boys, and to
be a negative experience for boys
themselves.”
Mind UK/Men's Health
Forum: Delivering Male
#3: NegativeAttitudesAbout Men

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“Health professionals simply do not
routinely consider masculinity or
gender in their approach to the design
and delivery of health services or
messages.”
European Men's Health
Forum: Barriers To Better Health
“The specific needs of older men are
largely ignored in current service
provision for older people.”
Age Concern: Review of Age
Concern Services for Older Men
#4: Failure to focus on the specific needs of men and boys

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#5: Lack of positive gender discourse
“One of the biggest barriers in
engaging men into social projects is
this overall resistance to engage with
gender as an issue from a male
perspective.
Despite evidence that tells us that
that male engagement is an issue,
we do not rethink our approach.
This needs to be tackled so that
engagement can happen effectively.”
Big Lottery: INVISIBLE MEN

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“Men’s reluctance to engage with certain
types of projects can be due to social
stigmas.
This can range from peer disapproval
among young men, to stigmas attached to
abuse from a perpetrator and or being a
victim.
Men can be reluctant to go public with a
problem that they may perceive to be
embarrassing or not ‘manly’.
Big Lottery - INVISIBLE MEN
#6: Stigma

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#7: Social Isolation
“Divorced and never married men are more
susceptible to social isolation, poor health, risk
behaviours and material disadvantage than
married older men.
Many widowers spoke about the emotional depths
to which they had sunk and the obstacles which
they had faced following
the death of their spouse.
It is likely that the majority of men in such
circumstances remain very isolated
and hard to reach.”
Age Concern: Review of Age Concern Services for
Older Men

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#7: Social Isolation
“[We need to] recognise the profound
role of social disconnection in the
suicide risk of men in mid-­life, and
support men to build social
relationships.
Social connections are one of the
most robust predictors of life
satisfaction and subjective wellbeing:
social relationships make us happy
and healthy”
Samaritans: Men, Suicide and
Society

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#8: No space for men to “Do It Themselves”
“(Men have) a powerful need to see
themselves as in control of their finances
and able to ‘do it themselves’.
Men’s accessing of debt-advice services
would be facilitated by framing the
promotion of these services in terms of
enhancing men’s ability to ‘do it
themselves’, regain control of their
finances and provide for their families.”
Money Advice Trust: Seeking Direction

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#8: No space for men to “Do It Themselves”
“Develop innovative approaches to
working with men that build on the ways
men do ‘get through’ in everyday life.
It should be possible to recognise the
importance men give to being self-
reliant by providing ‘self-
management’ tools, tailored for men.”
Samaritans: Men, Suicide and Society

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“Five years after the release of the 2010
National Male Health Policy, Australian
males are bereft of administrative
structures in any State that cater for their
specific concerns.
Conversely, an Office for Women or
equivalent exists in every State and
Territory as well as at the national level.”
Australian Men’s Health Forum: Male
health in Australia, a call to action
#9: Strategic Barriers

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“The issue of female offenders is an area
that feminist organisations struggle with as
it contradicts the core belief that men are the
sole perpetrators of sexual abuse.
This can be reflected in agency literature,
websites and advertising that advocate a
pro-feminist stance, which does not include
the possibility of female abusers."
Mankind UK: An Exploration of Service
Delivery to Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse
#10: Failure to see men as HAVING problems

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“Another barrier to the improvement of male
mental health identified by our advisors is the
perception among men that concern for emotional
health is a ‘women’s issue”.
Mind UK/Men's Health Forum: Delivering Male
“The majority of older men felt they needed to
justify [getting help] to themselves and to other
men. Some were involved, at least initially, as
volunteers (e.g. walk leaders, drivers) – as active
contributors rather than passive recipients.”
Age Concern: Review of Age Concern Services
for Older Men
#10: Failure to see men as HAVING problems

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They target men
directly
They go where
men already are
(physically and
emotionally)
They use
appropriate
language
They take a
strengths-based
approach
They don't relate to
men as a problem
that needs fixing
They often engage
male staff and
volunteers
They are often
service-user led
They often involve
community
building not just
1-2-1 support
They use male-
friendly activities
They involve fun,
action and are
projects men want
to be part of.
10 common factors in projects that engage successfully with men

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Time to workshop…..
STEP ONE:
Take turns to address the following three questions:
1. What types of men and boys engage in your
Neighbourhood Houses?
2. What proportion of your service users, staff and
volunteers are men?
3. Would you like to engage more men/boys? If so
what groups of men (think age, background,
geography, social issues etc)?

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STEP TWO:
Thinking about the BARRIERS men
face and the KEY INGREDIENTS of
successful men’s projects, answer the
following question:
§ What are we already doing well to
engage men and boys in your
neighourbood house?
Time to workshop…..

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STEP THREE:
Thinking about the men you engage with (or want to
engage with); the BARRIERS men face and the KEY
INGREDIENTS of successful men’s projects, answer
the following questions:
1. What would you love to do differently in future?
2. What realistically could you do differently in
future?
3. Name one thing you will definitely do to make
your Neighbourhood House more male friendly?
Time to workshop…..

37. Any questions?
Who
What
When
Where
Why
How

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Don’t be a stranger….
Glen Poole
Development Officer
Australian Men’s Health Forum
development@amhf.org.au
www.amhf.org.au