Three new podcasts about men’s mental health and wellbeing

Hear from community leaders who are helping men and boys improve mental wellbeing.
Men face unique challenges when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. For many men, narrow definitions of masculinity limit their opportunities to create the kind of social connections that help human beings thrive. Boys and men of color are more likely to experience poor mental health due to higher rates of multi-generational trauma, higher exposure to poverty and fewer economic opportunities, higher rates of incarceration, and increased exposure to violence. Men who are veterans and military service members are also at higher risk, in part because military norms don’t encourage service members to ask for support.
Mental distress is a leading cause of premature death among men and boys. It comes in the form of suicide, substance misuse, and overdose, among other causes.
For Mental Health Month, which starts today, we want to share some inspiring stories of men who are healing each other and changing the norms and structural barriers that prevent men from achieving mental wellbeing:

Making Connections: Exploring Healthy Masculinities with Community Leaders, Part 1 (34:10)
In part one of this two-part podcast, Charles Corprew from What's Your Revolution talks with community leaders from Making Connections for Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Men and Boys sites in Canton, CT, New Orleans, LA, and Albuquerque, NM. They discuss how vulnerability, art, and self-care play big parts in the work that they do. Making Connections is a national initiative of PI and the Movember Foundation to transform communities to support mental wellbeing.

Making Connections: Exploring Healthy Masculinities with Community Leaders, Part 2 (26:43)
Charles Corprew from What's Your Revolution returns for the second part of this two-part podcast to interview Making Connections community leaders from Kokua Kalihi Valley, HI, Tacoma, WA, and Boston. They discuss topics like mentorship, food justice, and community.

Re-designing the Man Box: Converting Toxic Masculinity to Healthy Masculinities (35:53)
PI's Ruben Cantu interviews Cody Ragonese of Promundo-US about the organization’s new report, "Masculine Norms and Men’s Health: Making the Connections." They discuss healthy masculinities and how men and communities are harmed by universal societal norms, attitudes, and behaviors that the report describes as a 'man box.'

Learn more about Making Connections for Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Men and Boys, a national initiative funded by the Movember Foundation. Through Making Connections, PI and Movember are partnering with 13 community-based coalitions that are taking action to implement wellbeing-promoting strategies such as increasing social connection, creating employment opportunities, and improving the availability of safe, affordable housing.

Read the ProMundo report.

Watch a ProMundo event (*and note this link will not be live until) Thursday, May 2nd at 9 AM PST/12 Noon EST

Mental Health Month provides all of us with an opportunity to think about mental wellbeing in new ways and about how communities—not just individuals—can create resiliency and help community members thrive.

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