Men’s Health UK – June 2019
English | 176 pages | True PDF | 174.5 MB
As a rule, we’re not given to dedicating many column inches to kids in Men’s Health magazine. The clue’s in the name, really. We’ve done parenthood, (in)fertility and family finances, but never has a teenager graced the cover of this magazine until now. It is a watershed. So, why the change of heart?
Over the past five years, we have increasingly devoted our (and hopefully your) attentions to the parlous state of mental health in men. We have been single-handedly responsible for that
wretched statistic – that for men under 45, the thing most likely to kill you is you – becoming common knowledge. And we sincerely hope that the work we’ve done has made some kind of difference, even if only to make a small dent in the public consciousness. Recently, however, it has felt a little like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. It’s all very well telling people that 25% of men who take their own lives have visited their GP in vain just the week beforehand, hoping that the authorities take note. But what about the months and years leading up to that cataclysmic decision? With any other illness, the emphasis would be on prevention rather than cure. Maybe we’re looking for answers in the wrong place at the wrong time. What has planted those seeds? When did they take root? I was 24 years old before I realised I suffered from depression, and only then because my boss at the time (also a sufferer) told me that he suspected I did and that I should do something about it. Now that I’m more cognisant of what mental health issues look and feel like, I recognise that I was displaying symptoms as young as nine. I see them occasionally in my own son, now almost 13, and the pain, guilt and helplessness that this stirs inside me is almost too much to bear. It has become clear, to my mind at least, that if we are to deal with mental ill health in men, then it is teenage boys upon whom we must focus our efforts. The children whom we profile in this issue have doubtless been dealt a worse hand than most. As pupils of a school that, despite being rated outstanding, resides in one of the most deprived areas in the country, they face issues that the majority of teenagers will
never have to confront. But thanks to progressive attitudes, excellent support and inspirational leadership, these kids are managing their situations with poise, stoicism and profound eloquence.These teenagers, their teachers and the help they receive from Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity, have comprehensively changed my opinion about the nature of the problems we face and the best way to broach them. Please read their story. Then, when you’re done, if you feel as passionately as I do, consider lending your support to our #GiveThemAHeadStart campaign.
It’s what Men’s Health is all about.
TOBY WISEMAN
EDITOR IN CHIEF
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