Our response to Parliament’s Mental Health of Men and Boys Inquiry
18 March 2019
The House of Commons Women & Equalities Committee sought evidence on its Mental Health of Men and Boys Inquiry, which closed on Monday 18th March.
Our response
Our thanks to St Michael & All Angels Steel Orchestra, Young Ealing Foundation, and Khulisa for contributing to our response. Our response had the following key messages:
- Our members have serious concerns about the mental health and wellbeing support available to young people in London, particularly through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
- Youth work is an effective way of broadening access to mental health support. Despite the Government’s welcome increased focus on young people’s mental health, youth and community organisations have not seen the same support as education-based mental health support.
- Programmes that young people enjoy, such as sports or cultural opportunities, are an incredibly effective means of outreach for and delivery of mental health support.
- The mental health of young men and boys in London is adversely affected by the cost of living, concern about safety and violence, and access to youth and mental health services.
Read our full response below.
About the consultation
The Committee launched this inquiry to address the alck of attention paid to the mental health of mena nd boys and to understand the issue in greater detail. They were interested in the following questions:
- What are the most pressing issues that affect men and boys’ mental health, and how are these different to the wider population?
- What are the social and economic costs of poor mental health in men and boys?
- What is the effect of the following on men and boys’ mental health:
- Gender stereotyping in childhood
- Gendered expectations around work
- Fatherhood
- Media portrayals of masculinity
- Household finances
- Relationship and family breakdown?
- What issues other than access to healthcare affect the mental health of men and boys?
- Which groups of men and boys are particularly at risk of poor mental health and what is leading to this?
- What measures are needed to most effectively tackle poor mental health in men and boys and what are the barriers that prevent these being implemented?
- How effective has Government policy been in improving mental health outcomes for men and boys?
- How effective are the following at tackling poor mental health in men and boys:
- NHS England
- Public Health England
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
- Local Authorities
- Schools
- Local support groups, faith groups, carers, friends and family
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