The Man Therapy campaign, which addresses the issue of men not seeking help for common mental health conditions, says: “Difficult problems require bold solutions.” This tagline is an example of the masculine, humorous, and innovative approach the campaign takes.
The creators of Man Therapy conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with men about how to reach men who are reluctant to seek help. They learned the following valuable lessons:.
- Take the mental health language out of the communication.
- Show models of hope and recovery.
- Connect physical symptoms with emotional symptoms.
- Meet men where they are and use humor.
- Target “double jeopardy” men, or those at most risk who are also the least likely to seek help.
- Offer opportunities to give back.
- Coach the people around them to notice warning signs
With these lessons in mind, the three groups decided to make the central feature of the campaign a website, ManTherapy.org. It features a fictional therapist, Rich Mahogany, and videos that approach the topic of mental health issues with humor and truth. For example, instead of saying “work stress is involved” in a video, Mahogany might say “your pain in the ass boss.” The tone is conversational, non-threatening, and humorous while still being educational.
The state of Massachusetts and its regional suicide prevention coalitions to prevent suicide are working to address the suicide rate among working-age men in its state. When leaders learned about ManTherapy.org, they embraced it by licensing it for use in Massachusetts. Screening with Mental Health is working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to promote the campaign throughout the state with advertisements, a unique gateway website with local resources, and toolkits for regional suicide prevention coalitions.
If you have men in your community who you think would benefit from some important messages about men’s mental health in an entertaining fashion, have them check out ManTherapy.org.