The big mistake Australian men are making
For some, the arrival of parenthood and family life means a marked difference in the amount and quality of friendships they have.
For others, work, the pandemic, radicalised political views or interstate moves have done the trick.
But one thing is clear: men's social circles are shrinking, and the results are cause for alarm.
A study out of the US in 2021 found that only 27 per cent of men claimed to have at least six close friends. In the nineties, that number sat around 55 per cent.
And if you read that stat and panicked because six close friends seems like a generous amount, you're not alone: about 15 per cent reported having no close friendships at all, while in the UK, a 2021 Movember Australia survey found 22 per cent of Aussies – one in five – hadn't organised a catch up with a close friend in over six months.
Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Subway last year found that even taking the time to share lunch with a colleague or friend could improve mental health and wellbeing, and showed men were less likely to do so.
The survey of 1002 adults showed a staggering 79 per cent of Australians were either skipping or condensing their lunch break, with over half reporting negative impacts on their physical or mental health because of this. Within that, men (45 per cent) were more likely to skip lunch than women (36 per cent).
A separate 2023 study looking at protective factors for men at risk of suicide found social and relational connectedness to be the strongest.
And while therapeutic intervention must surely form part of the solution, experts believe there are more protective well being measures men can implement to nurture their mental health.
'A lot of research points to the foundation of men's mental health lying in social connections and meaningful friendships,' Seaway Counselling counsellor and clinical psychotherapist Julie Sweet said.
'Even forming relationships with a small number of people (just one or two) can have a profound impact. By combining lifestyle changes with genuine relationships, it is possible to prioritise and improve their mental health and overall well being.'
Ms Sweet agrees that access to therapeutic intervention is also key.
'In my clinical opinion, psychosocial support, therapeutic intervention, and vulnerability are the cornerstones to improving men's mental health,' she said.
'Simply put, moving toward rather than away from professional support involves accessing therapy or men's groups and taking the risk of being vulnerable with a mate, partner, colleague, or trusted person.'
'The process of creating meaningful connections involves, quite literally, reaching out to a friend to reconnect,' she said, adding that returning to old interests, pursuing new hobbies, and developing skills through study or mentorship can be incredibly enriching for a substantial number of men.
'Generally, the most difficult aspect is taking the initiative to make contact in the first place.'
It is for this reason Sweet believes destigmatising and de-gendering notions of self-care is an important part of the conversation.
'Men perform better when they are aware of their feelings and behaviour, so it's about recognition, self-awareness and action to initiate fundamental behavioural change,' she explained.
'In addition to this, some men may view self-care as a gendered concept. They can often overlook the reality that self-care consists of more than bubble baths and podcasts (as it does for women, too!)
'Instead, it involves setting boundaries, identifying needs, cultivating mindfulness and gratitude, understanding values and myths around traditional masculine identity, and seeking help when required.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
21 minutes ago
- ABC News
The ACT government's new $250 health 'tax' a hard sell to Canberrans stuck on surgery wait lists
Iftekhar Ahmed lives with obstructive sleep apnoea and has experienced the terror of waking during the night gasping for air. "You wake up from breathlessness and go totally blank. Luckily, your body will tell you to wake up. But you can also have a stroke from lack of oxygen," Mr Ahmed explained. "My wife is worried about me. She used to stay awake at night to see if I was breathing. "I can't get enough oxygen in my sleep." The Canberran is on an elective surgery waiting list with Canberra Health Services (CHS) for procedures to be done to his nose, sinuses and throat. The system classed his surgery as Category 3, meaning there was a clinical need for it to occur within 365 days. But, Mr Ahmed has waited 922 days and no surgery is scheduled. In correspondence seen by the ABC, he emailed Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith in April last year, explaining his diagnosis and including a plea: The minister's office responded to him on the same day, saying it had asked CHS to follow up with Mr Ahmed directly. But, he said that follow up never occurred. As a ratepayer in the ACT, Mr Ahmed said he was "gobsmacked" when he learned yesterday's budget included a $250 health care levy. And he was far from alone, with many members of the ABC Canberra audience sharing their frustration over the levy and stories of being stuck on blown-out surgical waiting lists. One talkback caller, Marcie, said she had been waiting for eight months to access a procedure "to rule out cancer". "I was told there was no prospect, zero prospect, of getting it done this year," she said. She said she was forced to travel to Sydney to see a specialist who was trying to get her into the New South Wales public health system. "I'm not after something for nothing. I am happy to pay for healthcare if I am actually getting healthcare," Marcie said. Another person commented: 'I've been on a waiting list for eight months. Last week I was told there was no prospect of having the procedure done this year. And we're being slugged a $250 levy for what exactly?" Conrad Farrell shared with the ABC how his "fantastic" surgery for a degenerative spinal condition brought relief, but only after an agonising wait. "Every day felt like a week, so while I was waiting, it was excruciating," Mr Farrell said. "I was heavily reliant on a walking stick. I couldn't walk from the couch to the toilet without a walking stick." Mr Farrell is urging the government to make use of the levy to ensure no one else suffers a similar painful wait for help. The territory's budget deficit is $1.1 billion for 2024-2025, with ratepayers told the new tax would help cover expected increased costs for delivering health services. Ms Stephen-Smith conceded the government's new levy and other price hikes were unpleasant. "It is a tough budget. We had to make some really challenging decisions," she said. During an interview on ABC Radio Canberra, Ms Stephen-Smith heard stories of Canberrans who, like Mr Ahmed and Marcie, were stuck on blown-out surgical waiting lists. She encouraged people with a grievance about the health system to contact her office. The minister acknowledged that for some, the new $250 health levy would heap extra pressure onto already tight household budgets, but said across the ACT, the tax was appropriate. "We have the lowest unemployment rate in the country. We have the highest average incomes in the country. Interest rates are coming down. Inflation has come down really dramatically and most people who are earning an income have received tax cuts in the last couple of years," she said. "So, we're asking people for five or six dollars a week to contribute to budget repair … to provide the services that we all use and value. "And when we talk to Canberrans about what they value and what they need, health is right at the top of that list." But Canberra Liberals Leader Leanne Castley said the new health levy would not have been needed if the government had budgeted properly. "They do have a spending problem and the way that they're getting themselves out of that this time is to hike up the taxes on Canberrans," she said. "It's a health system that is in crisis and the services aren't improving. In selling yesterday's budget, Treasurer Chris Steel suggested the Commonwealth government was partly to blame for the territory's need to introduce the $250 levy. Mr Steel complained the federal contribution to the ACT's health spend was expected to fall to 33 per cent next financial year, despite saying there had been an agreed target of 45 per cent by 2035. But Federal Health Minister Mark Butler did not share Mr Steel's view. "I'm not sure there's ever been a bigger increase in Commonwealth funding to the ACT hospital system than the one we will deliver next week," Mr Butler said.
ABC News
22 minutes ago
- ABC News
Antoinette Lattouf's win, gambling ads, WA's big little bug problem + how old are you?
An Instagram story re-share ended up in the Federal Court. Today, we're getting into Antoinette Lattouf's big win against the ABC. And it's been 2 years since a major report into gambling. Has there been any meaningful change? Plus, shot-hole borers are little, but they could become a big problem after WA authorities declared they can't eradicate them. Also, are bio-age tests even accurate? Listen now: 01:12 - Antoinette Lattouf's win against the ABC 05:57 - Has Australia got better at fighting gambling addiction? 19:25 - Shot-hole borers 24:17 - The truth about biological age tests Guests: Mark Kempster, anti-gambling advocate, Alliance of Gambling Reform Mark Kempster, anti-gambling advocate, Alliance of Gambling Reform Dr Hassan Vally, associate professor of epidemiology, Deakin University Get the whole story from Hack:
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is changing in WA. What can people expect?
Big changes to the way the almost $50 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme works in Western Australia are on the way. The NDIS benefits more than 62,000 people in the west but is one of the most complicated funding programs to administer. Even the WA government admits it's complex. So, what's changing and who will it affect? Since its inception WA has had its own method of rolling out the NDIS, which financially supports people with significant and permanent disabilities. From July 1, WA will now pay fixed, up-front funding contributions each year to the NDIS, with the Commonwealth chipping in the rest. It means there will be a predictable and fixed pool of money for service providers to work with. NDIS Minister Mark Butler said the new arrangement meant its future is secure, and those who access it will continue to receive support. A WA advisory council made up of people with lived experience and expert backgrounds will be created to advise government on how the NDIS is working, and advocate for those who use it. At the same time, several pricing changes kick in next week that the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) said would make sure claims were proportionate to the services being delivered. For example, therapists can now only bill 50 per cent of their hourly rate for travel time, while there are cuts of up to $10 per hour on some physiotherapy, podiatry, dietetics and psychology rates. Both the new WA funding model, as well as the pricing changes, begin on Tuesday. The state government said the changes would particularly support people in regional and remote areas. But we've heard from some people in regional WA who are concerned their access to services will dwindle. In the state's north, Wickham mother of two Janel Went said support like speech and occupational therapy for her daughters were crucial and alternatives, including long-distance travel, were not viable. "Our little ones are too young — they need to have therapy in person," she said. Meanwhile in the state's south, behaviour analyst Liz Martin said her business has had to absorb costs, going on a seventh consecutive year with no increase in therapy pricing. She said the changes to the NDIS have been "confusing" and cuts to travel will affect their outreach services. "This is not a money-making business, this is a service industry and we want the best for every one of our families," she said. The NDIS is firm that there were no changes to people's plans due to price decreases. "These changes will help ensure value for participants accessing supports and equality for participants around the nation," the NDIS said in its explanation about the changes. "The NDIS believes the markets are strong enough that participants will still have access to the supports they need." Unfortunately, alongside the life-changing assistance the NDIS ideally provides, some people have "rorted" the system and abused its funding. Last year the NDIS itself said criminal rorting of the social service was worse than anticipated. In the 2023-2024 financial year, it was estimated at least $8 billion dollars of funding intended for NDIS participants was being abused by crime groups. This culminated in the federal government passing the 'Getting the NDIS Back on Track' bill through parliament last year, which sought to increase the agency's power to clamp down on rorting. In the 2023-24 financial year, NDIS participant supports costs totalled $3.6 billion in WA. The federal government paid $2.3 billion, while the WA government put in $1.3 billion. While it is unclear exactly what the new agreement will now cost, the state's latest budget papers say WA's contribution to the NDIS will work out to about $1.5 billion a year on average. We do know the federal government will pay $842.9 million to reimburse WA for expenditure associated with administering the NDIS.
