PCA support InYourCorner The PCA are supporting InYourCorner, a five year campaign to encourage men to be in their mate’s corner and be more supportive of the one in four of the population who are fighting a mental health problem in any given year. InYourCorner was launched today by Time To Change, a growing movement of people changing how we think and act about mental health. The campaign is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and the PCA are among thousands of organisations who are supporting the initiative. The PCA has already done pioneering work to destigmatise mental health through our Mind Matters series and by appointing seven Mental Health Ambassadors – Andrew Flintoff, Monty Panesar, Graeme Fowler, Marcus Trescothick, Iain O’Brien, Tim Ambrose and Mike Yardy – all past or current cricketers who have opened up about their own mental health. The PCA Mind Matters series can be viewed here. While there has been a positive step change in the way mental health is viewed and talked about in England, research shows that a persistent gap between the attitudes of men and women, with men consistently showing less favourable attitudes. Time to Change carried out research into men’s attitudes towards mental health over the course of a year, which included feedback from 18 focus groups across the country. This new insight revealed a number of barriers preventing men in particular from opening up to the topic of mental health. Compared to women, men are: Less knowledgeable about mental health, with more negative attitudes Far less likely to report their own experiences of mental health problems and less likely to discuss mental health problems with a professional More likely to say that mental health problems are the result of a ‘lack of self-discipline and willpower’ Three times more likely to take their own lives than women, with suicide being the leading cause of death in men under 45 Time to Change is now urging men to recognise how their attitudes and behaviours can influence others’ experiences of mental health problems – and that being in a friend’s corner can make all the difference. The campaign is relevant to everyone – men, women and young people – and shows straightforward ways that anyone can be there for someone. There are three steps people can take if they think a friend is struggling: 1 Text, call, reach out to your mate
 2 Ask how they are, listen without judging
 3 Be yourself, do everyday things. As well as taking steps to be there for a friend, everyone is being encouraged to share the new film. To find out more information about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit: time-to-change.org.uk/inyourcorner. Other research on men and mental health which backs up the new campaign has shown that only a third of men (34%) would talk openly about their feelings, and one in five (18%) admitted they saw others showing emotions as a sign of weakness. Worryingly, 31% of men said that they would be embarrassed about seeking help for a mental health problem. ” Our research clearly shows that mental health problems are just not on the radar for men. However, we also know that men feel strongly about brotherhood and friendship and can play a vital role in looking out for their friends’ mental health and wellbeing,” said Jo Loughran, Director of Operations at Time to Change ” We want to show that being in your friend’s corner doesn’t have to be difficult or awkward. Breaking the cycle of men feeling unable to reach out has never been more urgent. We need to help men realise they can make a real difference, even change someone’s life.” {{inyourcorner}}
