Men feel the strain during recession (From Business in Dorset)

Men feel the strain during recession

7:00am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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Men are struggling to deal with the emotional impact of the recession, according to a survey carried out by mental health charity Mind.

In the survey of 2,000 adults, 40 per cent of men admitted to feeling depressed and to worrying about job security, work and money.

Paul Farmer, chief executive at Mind, said: “The recession is clearly having a detrimental impact on the nation’s mental health, but men in particular are struggling with the emotional impact.

“Being a breadwinner is something that is still crucial to the male psyche, so if a man loses his job, he loses a large part of his identity, putting his mental well-being in jeopardy.

“The problem is that too many men wrongly believe that admitting mental distress makes them weak.”

Marcia Chambers, counselling manager at FirstAssist, the providers of health and well-being products, said: “Stress onset by financial or debt-related concerns is well-known to be the single biggest cause of individual stress.

“The impact of this on work performance and absenteeism is costing UK companies more than £12 billion a year in lost revenue.

“It is normal for people under financial strain to suffer intense stress, resulting in physical and emotional trauma.

“The results of this trauma can manifest themselves in a variety of ways including relationship problems, depression, heart problems and alcohol or drug dependency. Such distress in a person’s home life is likely to impact upon their performance at work.”

Approximately 2.7 million men in England suffer from mental health problems including stress, depression or anxiety – but are more reluctant to talk about their issues than women.

Westfield Health’s Chamber Primary Health Plan, which is available to all members of British Chambers of Commerce accredited and affiliated chambers, includes a 24-hour freephone counselling and advice line, provided by FirstAssist, which enables employees to speak to a trained counsellor, lawyer or medical adviser at any time.

The plan also offers up to six face-to-face counselling sessions, which give policyholders the opportunity to talk through issues in person.

For more information about the Chamber Primary Health Plan, visit www.westfieldhealth.com/chamber, call 0845 602 1629 or email businessenquiries@westfieldhealth.com

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