What is it?
Prince William launched the ‘Heads Up’ campaign last week, which aims to invoke “the biggest conversation ever” about male mental health. They aim to use the influence of football to encourage fans to take simple and achievable steps to improve their well being.
Why is it important?
The message of this campaign is becoming increasingly significant. Statistics show that in 2018, 75% of deaths by suicide in the UK were male (ONS, 2019). This is why the main football associations and famous footballers are supporting this mental health initiative.
How are they helping?
They will release a 60-second video which will be broadcast to fans before the beginning of FA cup matches, which highlights the importance of taking action on their mental health.
They have launched a free tool for encourage football fans to talk more about how they are feeling, as previous surveys show that men are less likely than women to disclose a mental health problem to friends or family (YouGov, 2016).
The tool asks them questions about their well being and after answering these questions, the tool then generates an action plan to help deal with stress, low mood and sleep problems among other things. (You can find the free tool here).
This initiative hopes to take another step towards breaking the stigma around male mental health.
For more information about the campaign, watch the video below or visit their website: http://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/heads-up/
If you are worried about your mental health and need someone to talk to, The Eaves counsellors and psychologists work in a wide-range of areas, including suicide ideation, depression and stress. If you would like to get in contact, please call 01483 917000 and a member of the referrals team would be happy to find the appropriate therapist for you.
References:
Office for National Statistics. “Suicides in the UK: 2018 Registrations.” (2019).
YouGov for the Mental Health Foundation (2016). https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/news/survey-people-lived-experience-mental-health-problems-reveals-men-less-likely-seek-medical