Men’s Health Week may almost be over, but Western Sydney University’s (WSU) Centre for Male Health hopes that important conversations around men’s health will only continue to grow.
Launched this week at CommBank Stadium, Men’s Health Week saw thousands of community members host or attend events in support of this years’ theme, ‘Building Healthy Environments for Men and Boys’.
The annual initiative is designed to provoke thought and discussion about what needs to be done to improve male health, highlighting the health challenges faced by men both in Australia and worldwide.
Centre for Male Health Director and Associate Professor Emma George said the week aims to encourage important discussion around men’s health and supportive environments.
“The real goal for us is to showcase the importance of the environments in which we live, work and play and the way they can really shape our mental health and wellbeing,” she said.
Associate Professor George believes each environment provides its own challenges when it comes to men’s and boys health, but there’s a lot that can be done to help.
“Organisations and workplaces can get on board by drawing attention to the importance of men’s health and their environment. We would also like to see them going beyond just celebrating Men’s Health Week and looking at how they can support health and wellbeing in an ongoing way,” she said.
“It’s about making sure we’re continuing those conversations and discussing men’s health and some of the challenges boys and men face.”
For former school teacher and large-scale muralist Shannon Boyd, mental health in men and boys is of particular concern. With a history of panic attacks and anxiety, Mr Boyd wants to encourage other males to seek out the tools available to them.
“We’re learning that it’s okay to speak up, it’s okay to chat with friends, family or professionals in regards to our mental health,” he said.
“[But] it can still be very awkward for a lot of young males, oftentimes toxic masculinity comes into play, I think opening that dialogue and trying to normalise it as much as we can [is important].”
Mr Boyd said he doesn’t want Men’s Health Week to be just another social media trend, where it’s talked about for a week and then forgotten.
“Eventually, I would love to see it not be just one week where we focus on it,” he said.
Instead he’s hoping now that Men’s Health Week has started a conversation more men and boys will feel comfortable to “reach out”.
“If you have a mate that you know you can open up to, don’t be hesitant because often the case is everyone’s got something that they need to chat about,” he said.
“There are also professional avenues and tools available to you, whether it’s Helpline or your GP. look after yourself because that’s what is most important.”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.