In recent years, awareness about the importance of good mental health has been continually growing, becoming much less of a taboo to talk about openly. This has led to more people seeking help when they need it the most. That said, many men still find it difficult to express that they have poor mental health and to seek treatment due to a complex plethora of reasons.

Jobskin® Premium Vest in green camo for burns and scar management

It is obvious that anyone, regardless of their gender, can experience poor mental health. It is, however, important to recognise that there is a distinct disparity in mental health outcomes for males and females.  

According to NHS Digital, around 12.5% of men in England have some kind of disorder with their mental health. The Samaritans charity found that men are an alarming three times more likely to commit suicide than women while data from the Office for National Statistics show that twice as many males die from alcohol-related causes as females. Men are also far more likely to display violent behaviour as a result of poor mental health.

One of the key reasons that men are less likely to talk about problems with their mental health is rooted in what is popularly described as 'toxic masculinity'. This term is used to describe an array of assumptions about how men should behave, such as keeping their emotions to themselves, reacting violently or aggressively in difficult situations and never wanting to be perceived as being weak. Many types of media have perpetuated these stereotypes, further fuelling unrealistic societal expectations of men. 

So deeply rooted are these expectations that they have even become embodied in our language. This is especially notable in the phrase 'man up' which, said to someone of any gender, is taken to mean that the person being spoken to should be stoic and bury their emotions instead of reacting naturally and honestly. When said to men, this toxic phrase insinuates that the man is not, in fact, acting like a man 'should'. 

Many men are thus discouraged from being open about struggles with their mental health and are less likely to seek and subsequently receive the help that they so desperately need. 

Improve physical and mental conditions with Medigarments Ltd

Michael Pursey, stroke survivor wearing SDO® Original on his Mountain Top Challenge

The symptoms that accompany many physical conditions, not least from spinal injuries, stroke and cerebral palsy to multiple sclerosis, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and scars can have a direct impact on negative health. Some people struggle to form relationships due to things like depression, social anxiety and low self-esteem.

Here at Medigarments Ltd, we design and manufacture an extensive collection of pressure therapy and dynamic compression garments. We also supply a range of silicone gel solutions to help improve the physical (and thus mental) health of people with these and many other conditions.

SDO® Original and SDO® Lite are our signature made-to-measure and ready-to-wear Sensory Dynamic Orthosis™ ranges that are designed to improve muskuloskeletal alignment and sensory feedback. SDO^® Original can help improve physical health problems caused by a vast array of conditions.

Pressure therapy garments from the Jobskin® Premium and Jobskin® Classic collections are especially effective in the treatment of problem scars. When it comes to scars, a significant number of men are likely to leave them untreated for the reasons outlined above. It is also relatively common for men to think that scars give them a more masculine appearance!

Please browse our website to discover our complete product collection, and do not hesitate to contact our dedicated clinical team if you need any advice.

Click here to read Michael Pursey's incredible story.

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SDO^® Original and SDO^® Lite are part of The World of SDO^® Sensory Dynamic Orthosis™ range of dynamic Lycra^® compression garments by Medigarments Ltd. Jobskin^® Premium, Jobskin^® Classic and SDO^® are the registered trademarks of Medigarments Ltd.