York and North Yorkshire Commits £715,000 to Men's Mental Health Initiative

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has approved a significant investment of £715,000 for a dedicated Men's Mental Health Investment Programme.

The programme aims to tackle the challenging reality of poor mental health and high suicide rates among men, particularly within specific male-dominated sectors and is part of a broader £3 million allocation to foster healthy and thriving communities across the region.

Mayor David Skaith highlighted the deeply personal motivation behind this investment, stating, "Suicide is a leading cause of death in men under 50 – it's a national tragedy and it’s something personal for me. After losing my dad, I struggled with my mental health and it took opening up, socialising and getting back into sport to start feeling better again". He also emphasised the regional focus, noting, "This has been a huge piece of work undertaken by experts right across the region and representations from both York and North Yorkshire Council to really drive investment into a strategy to support men with their mental health". The Mayor asserted that by taking a lead, the Authority can "directly tackle rural isolation and health inequalities – issues that York and North Yorkshire particularly struggles with".

"This has been a huge piece of work undertaken by experts right across the region, and representations from both York and North Yorkshire Council to really drive investment into a strategy to support men with their mental health and to support people to have more opportunities for movement, activity, and sport.

This is devolution in action. Seeing the challenges that we face in our region and being able to put plans and strategies together, funding as well, to be able to develop a plan that's gonna help people right across York and North Yorkshire."

The programme is designed to address change within men's mental health provision, focusing on meeting men where they are, rather than solely relying on awareness campaigns or encouraging men to talk. Professor Paul Galdas, Chair of the Men’s Mental Health Taskforce and Professor of Men’s Health at York University, articulated this approach:

"This isn’t just about raising awareness for men’s mental health or encouraging men to talk. It’s about meeting men where they are, adapting our services to fit the unique needs of men in our area, and ensuring that every man, from urban to rural areas can feel the benefit".

He added that improving men's mental health ultimately benefits individuals, their loved ones, entire communities, and the economy.

Key areas of focus for the Men's Mental Health Investment Programme include:

• A mapping exercise to identify existing support and services available for men's mental health.
• A workplace pilot within the Combined Authority to help design programmes that assist employers in understanding and engaging workforces in male-dominated and isolated professions, such as farming, blue light services, and construction.
• Directly addressing providers of men's health provision to drive change in services to better meet men's needs.

Deputy Mayor Jo Coles underscored the complexities influencing men's mental health, particularly in the region. She highlighted the significant impact of domestic abuse,

"Around a quarter of our domestic abuse victims in York and North Yorkshire are men. And actually for a man who is a victim of domestic abuse, the stigma of that and the impact on their mental health is significant. And we already support men through our domestic abuse services, but this funding will enable some of that work to increase.

And we also know on the flip side that for male perpetrators of domestic abuse and other crimes, mental health is a huge factor. And therefore in addition to the funding that's come from the government which will increase our capacity to deliver some perpetrator programs around domestic abuse we will also then be able to extend that around mental health support as well."

The Deputy Mayor also connected the men's mental health campaign to wider efforts against violence against women and girls, 

"People have been asking me how the mayor's campaign around men's mental health fits with the wider campaign to halve violence against women and girls. And actually I think they fit together absolutely hand in glove because sexist, misogynistic attitudes towards women and girls don't come from nowhere.

Men are victims. When men were victims, as children , they are more likely to develop those kinds of attitudes. The impact of trauma in childhood or in later life has a huge impact on people's mental health and is something that I think the mayor is showing some great leadership in terms of putting some investment into this area."

Another significant challenge in the region is its rural nature, which, as Deputy Mayor Coles explained, "does make it more difficult for us to provide mental health services and support for people". She also pointed to the contraction of the youth work sector, with the number of paid professionals down by approximately 20% compared to 10-15 years ago. The investment fund, therefore, represents "a huge step forward" in rebuilding this crucial workforce.

Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, lauded the initiative, remarking,

"Every day, men across England are dying early from preventable causes. Men are hit harder by a range of conditions, while tragically suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50. That’s why this new initiative from the Mayor is so important and will help tackle the problem head on".

He further indicated that by working with employers, York and North Yorkshire is set to be a "trailblazer" in supporting interventions to improve men's mental health.