12 June 2023 Blogs
Many of the industries we work with here at Develop are predominately made up of men. As such, it is important that we make sufficient time to approach the reality of men’s mental health, particularly with Men’s Health Week (12th – 18th June) now upon us.
A survey conducted by Mind in 2022* found that 45% of facilities managers in the UK had experienced poor mental health in the past year. The most common mental health problems reported were stress (37%), anxiety (32%), and depression (28%).
Similarly, a survey conducted by the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership in 2020* found that 55% of employees in the energy and utilities sector had experienced poor mental health in the past year. It was also found that the most common mental health problems reported were again stress (40%), anxiety (35%), and depression (30%).
This is what makes the purpose of this awareness week so significant to us at Develop. It is integral that we provide all men with access to the information, advice, and services that they need in order to live happier and healthier lives.
Men’s Mental Health Week 2023
The theme of this year’s Men’s Health Week is men’s health and the internet, a theme that looks to address the radical effects that the internet is currently having on the health of men around the world.
Dopamine can be both our closest friend and most vicious enemy. It is the chemical in the brain responsible for creating feelings of pleasure and reward. It is also a chemical that our smartphones deliver with unrelenting efficiency. With the necessity for devices both at work and home, this can lead to addiction, exhaustion and ultimately depletion.
What we do at Develop
From us at Develop, we wanted to highlight the support we have available when it comes to mental health, as it is only with the right tools that we can properly tackle external threats to our mental wellbeing.
One such tool is available to our associates because Develop is a member of the JTL Group. On the JTL website, you can find a number of free and accessible mental health resources on the Tune Up channel.
JTL is also partnered with the Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) to offer a range of welfare support services to all those working within the electrical sector as well as the wider building services industries. To find out more, visit here.
Additionally, we have a course that we offer virtually on behalf of the Samaritans called Developing Mental Resilience and Wellbeing. This course is designed to help learners understand what mental resilience entails and how it can be put to use against the negative effects of workplace stress.
We want everyone that works with us to know that we offer an open-door policy here at Develop and will always encourage anyone who may be suffering with the effects of mental health to talk to us.
Find out more
To find out more about Men’s Health Week, please visit: https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/mhw
*2022 Mind survey: The 2022 Mind survey was conducted online in the UK by YouGov from January 24-27, 2022, among 1,002 adults aged 18 and older who work in facilities management.
*2020 Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership survey: The 2020 Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership survey was conducted online in the UK by Censuswide from September 14-16, 2020, among 1,000 employees in the energy and utilities sector.
