Mental health professionals and insurance company ConnectiCare hosted a men’s mental health seminar Wednesday night to spread awareness.
Men are four times more likely to commit suicide then women, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
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Jacquilyn Davis with the nonprofit Mental Health Connecticut gave a presentation at the ConnectiCare Center in Manchester. She said work pressure, financial issues and health are the three biggest causes of mental health issues for men, but not many people talk about it.
“There’s a lot of stigma, especially when it comes to men’s mental health,” she said. “There’s a lot of that masculine stuff you got to just power through and get through it. Remind yourself to be kind, to give yourself space and grace, and not put so much pressure on yourself to be perfect.”
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Nearly one in 10 men experience depression or anxiety, but less than half will receive treatment, according to Mental Health America.
David Richardson from Bristol attended the workshop to figure out how to talk to his grandson about his change in behavior.
“I had a loving family, but we didn’t talk about it very much,” he said. “We didn’t tell each other that and I just want it to be different for him.”
Aristede Hill of Bloomfield said he felt empowered to speak to others about mental health after the seminar.
“I can talk to people and let them know that, ‘hey, listen, you don’t look good. You don’t feel well. Maybe you need to get a higher level of care,'” he said. “Being a resource for folks is really important to normalize mental health.”
Mental Health Connecticut partners with ConnectiCare for events and sponsorships. The company’s president, Mark Meador, said mental health is key to maintaining’s one overall health.
“It’s all interconnected, both with mental health and physical health,” he said. “So you can’t just look at one. You have to look at both to really help the individual and our members.
Mental Health Connecticut has a directory of resources, you can click here to view them.