"Disclosing thoughts of suicide establishes a lifeline for the individual"

In an effort to tackle the growing need for mental health support among men in Ireland, several new initiatives and strategies have been announced. The Irish Men's Sheds Association, a community-based organisation, is leading the charge with a mental health programme that offers over 15,000 free counselling sessions for men each year.

One of the challenges faced in engaging older men with counselling is the entrenched culture of masculine silence around emotions. Men from the predominantly 60-years-plus age group, who are drawn to men's sheds, have grown up in an era where discussing emotions was not the norm. Rebecca McLaughlin, health and wellbeing manager with the Irish Men's Sheds Association, acknowledges this challenge and is working to make counselling more accessible and less intimidating for these men.

Talk therapies are generally recommended as a first-line treatment for mental health issues. However, some men may feel more comfortable talking to a male counsellor, a suggestion made by psychotherapist Mark Herman. This preference can be seen in some practices where the gender split among those seeking therapy tends to favour male clients.

In another development, a new mental health programme for young Travellers is being rolled out with €100,000 this year. The project targets Traveller youth, with boys aged 15 to 18 being the key focus group. It includes crisis-management training for Traveller adults and a six- to eight-week mental health programme for youngsters. The pilot programme for Traveller mental health was co-produced between professionals and community members and was delivered by a Traveller man and settled woman.

Research indicates that Traveller men are seven times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. This statistic underscores the urgent need for mental health support among this group.

Beyond the announced €2 million investment in new counselling supports for men, the strategies and initiatives aimed at reducing stigma and encouraging men to seek mental health support include:

Developing new simplified pathways that respond to the specific needs and preferences of men, making access to support more straightforward.
Providing supports through general practitioners (GPs), allowing men to be directly signposted to tailored mental health services during consultations, thus normalizing help-seeking within trusted healthcare settings.
Launching a national marketing campaign targeting men directly from September 2025 to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and promote mental health service uptake by men.
Extending and enhancing anonymous telephone support, including expanding Connect Counselling's freephone helpline to seven days a week, available in multiple languages, offering immediate, stigma-free access to help and referrals.
Creating direct referral pathways from helplines to counselling services regardless of medical card status, removing financial and procedural barriers for men seeking support.

These initiatives are embedded within a broader policy framework such as Ireland’s Sharing the Vision mental health policy and the Connecting for Life suicide prevention strategy, which emphasize first-line talk therapies and targeted mental health promotion and prevention tailored for men.

Supporting legislative reforms and advocacy that promote a rights-based, person-centred mental health system is also a key strategy. This ensures enhanced consent provisions and regulatory oversight, indirectly reinforcing men’s confidence in seeking care and trust in mental health services.

These combined measures aim not just to provide counselling but to tackle stigma by improving accessibility, normalizing help-seeking, and delivering services in ways that acknowledge men’s unique barriers and preferences towards mental health care.

However, it's important to note that some men may be reluctant to seek help due to concerns about challenging their masculine identity or finding the label "mental" health off-putting due to negative associations. Psychotherapist Mark Herman emphasizes the danger of silence in suicide, urging men to seek help when they need it.

MyMind, a mental health service, currently has two-thirds of clients using their early intervention service for mild to moderate mental health challenges being female. Specialisations like cognitive behavioural therapy and art therapy work well for men by creating structure and teaching skills for managing mental wellbeing, respectively.

These initiatives and strategies are a step in the right direction towards reducing stigma and encouraging men to seek mental health support when they need it. By making mental health services more accessible, normalizing help-seeking, and delivering services in ways that acknowledge men’s unique barriers and preferences, Ireland is taking a proactive approach to mental health care for men.

"Disclosing thoughts of suicide establishes a lifeline for the individual"