Be a mercy to men affected by mental health
And those within whose wealth is a known right for the petitioner and the deprived (Source - Surah 70:24-25)
The stigma around mental health challenges is slowly eroding but more mercy and understanding is needed to shine more light on this issue. In the UK, suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45, with men three times more likely to die by suicide than women.
£35 Your mercy can provide one counselling session for one man who is struggling to cope.
£500 Your mercy can provide extensive counselling to one man, enabling him to heal.
Breaking the silence
One in eight men experience common mental health challenges like depression and anxiety. Yet diagnosing depression in men is more challenging as admissions of sadness and depression are perceived as signs of weakness. Recent studies shed light on the weight of this silent suffering:
• 73% of adults who 'go missing' are men
• 87% of those sleeping rough are men
• 72% of male prisoners suffer from two or more mental disorders.
• Men are almost three times more likely than women to become dependent on alcohol. This equates to 8.7% of men.
• Men are also three times more likely to report frequent drug use than women.
The Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating effect on mental health and access to treatment, with 57% of adults experiencing mental health concerns. The Mental Health Foundation recently published a report saying that they expect the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on public mental health to be on a scale like the pandemic.
For men from ethnic minority communities, the experience of mental health challenges is worsened by racism, oppression, and cultural practices that encourage suppression and silence. For those that do seek mental health services, the lack of culturally competent care makes it harder for them to talk about their challenges. Consider these mental health facts regarding Muslim men:
• 63% witnessed domestic violence growing up
• Where there was abuse, 94% knew their abuser (a member of the family/family friend) making disclosure more difficult – conflict of love, loyalty, and a fear of the impact this will have on the family.
• 44% told by family to remain silent.
• Sharam, izzet and haya are significant contributors to the so-called masculine maxim: ‘strength in silence’.
• Unemployment: Men from ethnic communities have a higher rate of unemployment (8%) than their White counterparts (4.6%).
We’ve partnered with Meridian Centre to Break the Silence
Breaking the Silence is a project launched by the Meridian Centre in Bradford to provide dedicated counselling services to men and boys from ethnic communities. Meridian Centre is at the forefront of building an alliance of minority mental health specialists. With our help, the Breaking the Silence project has helped reach hundreds of men seeking mental health support. Your mercy can help us to provide specialised psychotherapy to at-risk men, many of whom are predominantly Muslim and facing mental health crises.
Find out more about Breaking the Silence
Why give through Human Appeal?
Human Appeal has been working in the UK for 30 years. Last Ramadan, we supported 700 people in the UK via food parcels and provided grants to 8 survivors of domestic abuse. During Qurbani, we supported over 1,400 people in the UK, distributing the meat of 35 sheep via food banks and soup kitchens in Birmingham, which often struggle to source halal meat.
Last winter, we helped to collect 20,337 coats from across the UK during our annual Wrap Up campaign in partnership with Hands on London. Together we supported people who are homeless, vulnerable, refugees or dependent on food banks. During the campaign, we supported in 7 cities across the UK. In total, 109 volunteers gave 445 hours collecting and sorting coats.
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