Two Wyndham women are on a mission to raise awareness about the mental health issues faced by middle-aged men.
Point Cook’s Linda Kensington recently took on the role of acting chief executive of On the Line, a western suburbs’ company that provides remote support and counselling services to people in crisis.
Hoppers Crossing resident Kim McAliney has also joined the team as acting chief finance officer.
Ms Kensington said it was great to have a crisis service in the heart of the west, providing national support services, ranging from telephone help lines to call-back services.
“It’s an absolute privilege to be working with a nationwide organisation like On the Line.”
Among its services is MensLine – a 24/7 counselling service for men from all walks of life. Ms Kensington described the rates of suicide among middle-aged men as concerning.
“Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that men aged between 45 and 49 have the second highest rate of suicide after men aged over 85,” she said.
Ms Kensington said relationship issues or separation were the reasons behind most calls, but family law issues, work-related stress, job loss, and challenges accessing services also caused men to seek help.
Jackson Fairchild, a senior clinical educator with On the Line, said men were often less likely to talk about their feelings or seek professional help, but they need to know help is available.
MensLine: 1300 78 99 78.
