Movember 2024

*Sensitive content. Please note that this article mentions suicide. If you need help, please reach out. We have listed resources at the bottom of this page or you can speak with your GP. If you are seriously worried about yourself or a loved one, you can visit your nearest A&E, or call 999 in an emergency.

It is time to put down your shaver, grow a moustache, and move for men’s mental health.

November is dedicated to Movember, a month focused on men’s health, suicide prevention and prostate/testicular cancer. This article is focused on Movember 2024 and the men’s mental health resources featured in this year’s campaigns – you will also find useful and practical tips to help you, or a loved one.

Movember 2024

A particularly startling statistic is that “3 out of 4 suicides in the UK are by men.“

Movember takes a look at men’s mental health with the aim to intervene and prevent. The charity is working towards a world where men will look to take action to improve their mental health, before reaching breaking point.

Although complex, they understand that improving the overall mental health of males will help them speak up and create social connections that can reduce suicide.

Movember 2024 has specific campaigns set up to raise vital funds for men’s mental health:

Grow a moustache – this helps reduce the stigma by starting conversations, you can support it here.
Move for mental health – “60 men are lost to suicide globally, every hour” and Movember are asking that we run or walk 60km over November to raise funds.
Host a mo-ment – “On average, more than 13 men in the UK take their own lives every day” and this campaign asks that we host an event to raise awareness.
Mo your own way – do whatever you like, or can, to support Movember. You can read more here.

Spotting the signs

One of the first steps to prevent is to intervene.

If you have a friend, a colleague or a loved one who appears to be struggling then the following signs are what to look out for:

Sleeping less, or more than usual
Eating less, or more than they usually do
Issues with personal hygiene, such as a lack of clean clothes, showering and not brushing their teeth
They might avoid social situations
They may miss social or sports events that they would usually attend
They have gone quiet on social media and stopped messaging
They are more irritable than usual
Talk of death and dying and increased hopelessness

If you notice any of the above behaviours, always check in – it could save their life.

Movember 2024 conversation starters

Another huge issue with male mental health is that men tend to struggle to voice their issues more than women.

It’s believed that the pressure put on men to be the breadwinners and to be strong can make it more difficult for them to reach out when they are struggling.

A big part of the Movember movement is to provide conversation starters for the loved ones of men going through a hard time. This website was created to help train people to be able to start conversations with men struggling with their mental health. It has a function for practicing conversations, alongside useful resources to help you be there for the men in your life.

Alongside this, Movember also provides ALEC – this is ASK, LISTEN, ENCOURAGE ACTION and CHECK IN. This is a four-step approach that tackles the important conversation of mental health with the men in our lives.

Reaching out

There are many organisations dedicated to mental health and suicide prevention that offer information, advice, and resources, such as the following:

Movember – Movember is a movement dedicated to men’s health. Since starting in 2003, it has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world. The aim is to challenge the status quo, shake up men’s health research and transform the way health services reach and support men.
ManHealth – this charity offers lifestyle tips for men, as well as a range of courses for workplaces aimed at staff to increase awareness of the influences on men’s mental health.
ManUp? – dedicated to changing people’s thoughts, opinions, and minds about men and mental health.
CALM – also known as Campaign Against Living Miserably, provides life-saving services, information and advice to help anyone struggling with life navigate the issues causing them misery.