Celebrated annually on November 19, the Journée québécoise pour la santé et le bien-être des hommes hosted by the Regroupement provincial en santé et bien-être des hommes or International Men’s Day, celebrates the positive value men bring to the world, their families and the community, and highlights the need to bring awareness to their overall health and well-being (social, emotional, physical and spiritual).
In a SOM survey of 2,000 Quebec men completed in October 2018, statistics suggested that 22 per cent (more than one in five men) are experiencing psychological distress, and that only 29 per cent of those men who feel this way have sought help from mental health resources over the past year. The study also found that:
- Respondants rated they would seek when they noticed the issue is affecting their children at 7.9 out of 10, on average.
- Respondents rated their probability of seeking professional help if they were having thoughts about suicide at 7.4 out of 10, on average.
- Respondents rated their probability of seeking professional help if their spouse threatening to leave them (average rating 6.1 out of 10 likelihood), loss of libido (6), marital separation (6.1), depression (6) and loss of a job (5.3).
- Among the 269 anglophone men surveyed, 76 per cent said having counselling available in English would be a very helpful factor in pushing them toward consultation.
- For men, one of the most important factors to consult a mental health professional is feeling that the professional can help them.
