Mental Health: Recognising Gender Differences

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Mental Health: Recognising Gender Differences June 2016 This factsheet outlines the key differences between men and women experiencing common mental health issues, and how employers can better manage

1 Mental Health: Recognising Gender Differences June 2016 This factsheet outlines the key differences between men and women experiencing common mental health issues, and how employers can better manage wellbeing in the workplace. The total cost of mental ill-health to employers is estimated to be 1,035 for every employee in the UK workforce 1. According to Acas, stress is now the biggest cause of long-term absence in the UK workforce 2. 83% of men who say stress interferes with their work feel it also carries over to their personal life, compared to 72% of women 10. Colleagues and line managers may be the first people to spot changes in the behaviour of people suffering from mental distress 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health issue at one time 3, yet less than half of those affected by mental ill health feel confident to disclose their condition to their employer 4. Prevalence of mental health issues Depression, anxiety and stress Sociodemographic differences also show disparities in common mental health issues: Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental health issue in the UK 5. Women are twice as likely to experience depression 6 and anxiety disorders 7 than men. 10% of mothers and 6% of fathers in the UK have mental health problems at any given time 8. Globally, women are found to be twice as likely to experience anxiety as men and prevalence is higher in those with chronic physical health issues 9 Women from black and minority ethnic communities are more often diagnosed with mental health disorders and admitted to hospital than their white counterparts 11. Women who are carers have a higher tendency to experience mental health issues. Research has found that 69% of carers said that caring responsibilities negatively affect their wellbeing. 58% of carers are female and the majority are aged years 12.

Cross-culturally, those under the age of 35 are disproportionately affected by anxiety disorders 13 Suicide One person takes their own life every two hours in the UK and at least ten times that

Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men between 20 and 34 in England and Wales 17.

2 Cross-culturally, those under the age of 35 are disproportionately affected by anxiety disorders 13 Suicide One person takes their own life every two hours in the UK and at least ten times that number attempt suicide 14. Women are more likely to experience suicidal thoughts than men 15. However, the male suicide rate is three times higher than with females 16. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men between 20 and 34 in England and Wales 17. Among men, the group most at risk of suicide are middle-aged men in the lowest socio economic groups 18 and suicide rates are more prevalent in male-dominated workgroups such as manual workers, farming and in the military % of transgender people have attempted suicide once and 25% a second time out of 10 people considering suicide show some signs of their intentions. People who talk about or threaten suicide, or call suicide crisis centers are 30 times more likely than average to take their own life 21. Dealing with mental ill health Men and women usually experience mental illhealth in different ways. Women tend to experience low mood, be more irritable, less focused and less confident. However, they are more likely than men to seek reassurance, talk to colleagues or friends, but decline extra work or responsibilities. Men often experience anger, engage in aggressive or abusive behaviour, escapist behaviours and substance abuse 22. They are nearly three times more likely to report frequent drug use 23 and to become alcohol dependent than women 24, increasing the risk of depression and suicide 25. Men have a tendency to mainly recognise symptoms at crisis point and are less likely to recognise warning signs. Moreover, they are less likely to seek the support of friends, relatives and professional services 26. Risk factors for men and women Research shows that working is generally related to positive mental health for men and women, however workplace stress remains a major problem. Women are more likely to suffer from poor worklife balance, and exhaustion 27. In addition, bullying and harassment are more common experiences amongst women than men, affecting more than one in two women 28. Additionally, income inequality, lower social status and caring responsibilities often put women at a disadvantage. For men, poor mental health is more likely driven by high pressure workplaces and work burnout. Unemployment and subsequent self-perceptions of being a failed breadwinner increase the risk of suicide in older men, particularly with a history of depression 29. Finally, men going through divorce, separation or bereavement have been found to cope less well than women, often resulting in selfdestructive behaviours 30. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 2

The role of line managers People spend the majority of their time in the workplace, therefore it needs to be a place where employees can speak openly and be treated fairly for mental ill issues,

Train line managers Raise awareness to recognise the different symptoms of reduced mental health in men and women and improve the wellbeing of their staff.

Nominate champions Call to action such as senior managers/leaders who acknowledge that they have mental health issues, and make it more acceptable for all to talk about mental ill health.

Signing the Time to Change pledge and introducing Mental Health First Aid training are proven catalysts for change within organisations, and are most effective when integrated as components of a

3 The role of line managers People spend the majority of their time in the workplace, therefore it needs to be a place where employees can speak openly and be treated fairly for mental ill issues, creating parity between physical and mental health. Train line managers Raise awareness to recognise the different symptoms of reduced mental health in men and women and improve the wellbeing of their staff. about the different mental health experiences of men and women, in particular challenging traditional views of masculinity that require men to be strong at all times. Nominate champions Call to action such as senior managers/leaders who acknowledge that they have mental health issues, and make it more acceptable for all to talk about mental ill health. We recommend that every business leader drives the issue of workplace wellbeing forward by: 1. Signing up to the Time to Change organisational pledge. Signing the Time to Change pledge and introducing Mental Health First Aid training are proven catalysts for change within organisations, and are most effective when integrated as components of a strategic approach to embedding wellbeing into organisational culture using the Business in the Community Workwell Model. 2. Introducing Mental Health First Aid training for line managers. Mental Health First Aid is a licensed training product delivered by accredited trainers including Mental Health First Aid England and Mind. Training courses range from three hours to two days. 1. The following 8 key steps will help employers to embed wellbeing into organisational culture: Sign up to the Time to Change organisational pledge to tackle mental health stigma. 2. Use the Working Well segment of the Workwell model. 3. Promote and communicate throughout the organisation that wellbeing is integral to productivity. 4. Make employee wellbeing a core part of line manager job responsibilities, and provide line managers with the training to support their staff. 5. Support line managers to develop interpersonal skills. 6. Support line managers to maintain their own wellbeing. 7. Introduce Mental Health First Aid training to line managers. 8. Develop and promote clear referral or assistance pathways. Useful helplines If you are in crisis or distress call 111 immediately Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 3

4 Alcohol Concern Citizens Advice Samaritans Rape Crisis Refuge / Women s Aid Employment: The Economic Case, Centre For Mental Health < [accessed 16 May 2016]. 2 Mental Health Acas < [accessed 18 May 2016]. 3 How Common Are Mental Health Problems? Mind, the Mental Health Charity - Help for Mental Health Problems < 4 OECD (2014) Less than half of those affected by mental ill health feel confident to disclose their condition 5 Mental Health Statistics: The Most Common Mental Health Problems Mental Health Foundation < [accessed 18 May 2016]. 6 WHO Gender and Women s Mental Health, WHO < omen/en/> 7 Women Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA < 8 Parker, G., et al. (2008). Technical Report for SCIE Research Review on the Prevalence and Incidence of Parental Mental Health Problems and the Detection, Screening and Reporting of Parental Mental Health Problems. [online] York: Social Policy Research Unit, University of York. Available at: ew1.pdf [Accessed 14 Sep. 2015]. 9 O. Remes, C. Brayne, R. van der Linde, L. Lafortune. A systematic review of reviews on the prevalence of anxiety disorders in adult populations, Brain and Behavior, 2016; 0(0), e00497, doi: /brb ADAA (2016) Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Communities Mental Health Foundation < [accessed 16 May 2016]. 12 Age UK, Later Life in the United Kingdom, 2016 < GB/Factsheets/Later_Life_UK_factsheet.pdf?dtrk=true > [accessed 16 May 2016]. 13 O. Remes, C. Brayne, R. van der Linde, L. Lafortune. A systematic review of reviews on the Relate Talk to Frank prevalence of anxiety disorders in adult populations, Brain and Behavior, 2016; 0(0), e00497, doi: /brb Suicide Mental Health Foundation < 15 The NHS Information Centre for health and social care, The National Centre for Social Research and The Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, Results of a Household Survey, 2007 < 16 Caroline Davies, Number of Suicides in UK Increases, with Male Rate Highest since 2001, The Guardian, 2015 < ber-of-suicides-uk-increases-2013-male-rate-highest- 2001> 17 Davies. 18 Crosby, A.E., Han, B., Parks, S.E. & Gfroerer, J. (2011). Suicidal thoughts and behaviours among adults over 18 years old. Surveillance Summaries, 60, Roberts, S. E., Jaremin, B., & Lloyd, K. (2012). High risk occupations for suicide. Psychological Medicine. 43, McNeil and others. 21 Mental Health America (2016) Cognoscenti Business Psychologists (2015). Wellbeing that works for men. European Human Resource Digest 23 Key Data: Mental Health, 2014 < % of men are alcohol dependent compared to 3.3% of women. Key Data: Mental Health, 2014 < 25 Alcohol and Depression < ders/alcoholdepression.aspx> [accessed 18 May 2016]. 26 Key Data. 27 Gyllensten, K. & Palmer, S. (2005). The role of gender in workplace stress: A critical literature review. Health Education Review, 64(3), Business in the Community, Project The Report, March Oliffe, J. & Han, C. (2014). Beyond Workers Compensation: Men s Mental Health In and Out of Work. American Journal of Men s Health, 8(1) Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 4

5 30 Depression & Men < ders/depressionmen.aspx> [accessed 18 May 2016]. Business in the Community, The Prince s Responsible Business Network 5

Changing the conversation on mental health

Changing the conversation on mental health Paul Farmer, Chief Executive mind.org.uk We give advice and support Through our network of over 140 local services, we reach over 400,000 people each year We