NRL star works to ‘encourage discussion’ around mental health
Kurt Dillon has vowed to smash the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and shine a light on suicide prevention, after the sudden death of his friend last year.
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A rising NRL player has vowed to smash the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and shine a light on suicide prevention, after the sudden death of his friend last year.
South Sydney Rabbitohs player Kurt Dillon was one of five mates left devastated by a suicide that rocked the eastern suburbs community in 2019, before setting up the mental health organisation Move for Men, who meet every morning for a walk on the beach.
The 26-year-old young prop — who was formerly with the Cronulla Sharks — said he hoped the grassroots movement would “encourage discussions” about any issues that may be “weighing on one’s mind” and show men that “we all walk through the struggles together”.
“I assisted in starting Move For Men following the devastating loss of our mate. Due to my experience through playing and working in male dominated environments, I believe men sweep things under the rug,” he said.
“So I feel starting Move for Men creates a platform to feel part of a community, raise awareness, start conversations about mental health and get men actively trying to improve their state of mind.”
South Sydney stars Damien Cook and Cody Walker have also backed the group’s initiative.
EASTERN SUBURBS SUICIDE PROMPTS NEW MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE:
Every morning at 6am, Thomas Grunberger and his friends band together to take a walk on the beach.
It’s a chance for the Eastern Suburbs group to speak informally about anything weighing on their mind with people they trust.
But the seemingly simple ritual has its roots in a tragedy that shook the tight-knight community.
At the end of last year the group lost one of their closest friends to suicide and started the organisation Move For Men.
What was initially a way to cope with the death has now become an initiative that’s saving many lives.
“The loss of a great friend from suicide in 2019 really hit me hard and it took me a long time to come to terms with what had happened. It also took me a long time to realise what a negative frame of mind I was in and why I was feeling like I was,” Mr Grunberger told The Daily Telegraph.
“There were some days at work for instance when I would wonder why my emails and tasks kept building up and I couldn’t get on top of them, I felt useless and wasn’t enjoy the work I was doing. Which got me down even more.
“I don’t run 100km a day but just go for about a small walk in the morning ideally with my dad or mates. It will blow your mind how happy everyone is at 6am in the morning, that energy is contagious and sets you up for a great day and puts you in a really good frame of mind.”
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The organisation could be a game-changer for Australian men who are silently suffering with mental illness, with just one in four men admitting they would seek help from a professional despite making up more than three quarters of suicides.
A survey of Australian men during the COVID-19 lockdown in May found that up to 25 per cent are experiencing mental health issues in their lives and 15 per cent suffered a disorder in the past 12 months.
But the Australian Institute of Family Studies report found that 80 per cent of men said they were unlikely to seek help from phone helplines for mental health issues despite the platform becoming a primary mode of treatment during the pandemic where face-to-face help isn’t as readily available.
The reluctance to use tele mental health services comes despite the Federal Government investing funding into the area in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic including a $669m Telehealth package.
AIFS director Anne Hollonds said the cultural view of men and vulnerability needs to change in order for men to reach out for help.
“This is very concerning and suggests that men may face a range of barriers to getting help when they’re experiencing poor mental health. Things like cost, wait times, stigma around mental health and fear that it will be seen as weakness to seek help, or to talk about feelings, may be potential barriers,” she said.
“That’s why we need to encourage the men in our lives to share what they are experiencing and let them know that it’s not a sign of weakness – it’s a sign of strength – to open up about depression, anxiety or loneliness.”
The report also found that a fifth of young men and a quarter of adult men had thought about harming themselves before and 1 in 10 of both young and adult men had made a suicide plan in their life.
Originally published as NRL star works to ‘encourage discussion’ around mental health