Fatima Halloum
Despite men making up more than three quarters of deaths by suicide, research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) found a quarter of men would not seek help for mental health concerns.
Wyndham local Craig Emery is putting steps in place to help encourage male residents to talk it out.
The Man Walk, as the name suggests, is a weekly walking group which provides men an opportunity to talk about “anything, everything or nothing“.
“It is a common acceptance that men aren’t the best at connecting in healthy ways and having this option has proved to be valuable,“ Mr Emery said.
“Mental Health is an important part of our overall wellness but is sometime neglected. There is now more focus on our mental wellbeing, which is a good thing, but there is still a slight stigmatism around men, what they feel and how they communicate it.“
Mr Emery said the concept of the group is to “walk, talk and support“.
“If one walker feels better after they have done the walk, then it has been a success. Friendships are formed, reinforced and can provide a support that can make a difference,“ he said.
“Just having a chat can be a great help to people, and whilst you are having that conversation you are walking for around an hour, which is also a good thing.“
Mr Emery said the premise of the The Man Walk “does not mean that there is no appreciation for the support provided from the women in our lives“.
“This is just an avenue to allow men to connect. We do have regular community walks when the whole community is invited along and some of the walkers bring along their dogs on occasions,“ he said.
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