Impact of Recession on Men's Health

The economic recession, with its accompanying rise in unemployment rates, is linked to extremely adverse effects for men’s mental health - according to new research from the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH).  On Monday 13th June (the start of Men’s Health Week), the IPH launched a report titled “Facing the Challenge - The Impact of the Recession and Unemployment on Men’s Health in Ireland”.  This identifies a strong expectation of increased mental health problems for men given the very strong correlation between unemployment and male mental ill health.  The report is the result of a research and consultation process carried out in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by Nexus Research Cooperative on behalf of IPH.  93% of frontline organisations in contact with unemployed men linked health challenges to unemployment and recession, and all organisations surveyed noted adverse health challenges for the men they work with.  In addition to health challenges being higher for unemployed men, they were also very high for men who saw themselves as being threatened with unemployment.  Copies of the report are available as a PDF file at: www.mhfi.org/IPHreport2011.pdf