For Aussie men, help is a phone call away

AUSSIE blokes are still tough nuts to crack when opening up about their feelings to loved ones. Anonymous helplines and community support can help.

AS PART of World Mental Health Day news.com.au is encouraging men to speak out and seek out help through our The silent killer: Let’s make some noisecampaign.

Staggering figures from the Bureau of Statistics have highlighted that 75 per cent of the 3128 lives lost to intentional self-harm last year were men, or about six men every day.

Experts say the right conversation at the right time could make all the difference, but SANE Australia chief executive Jack Heath says men are significantly less likely to seek help than women.

News.com.au is highlighting men’s mental health issues as part of its campaign in support of Gotcha4Life and Movember.

With the prospect of opening up to family and friends still a difficult one for many Aussie blokes, online and over-the-phone service providers are more important than ever.

Help can be just one phone call away with any of these services:

1. MensLine Australia: Eighty per cent of male suicides are not linked to any mental health diagnosis, many are just struggling to deal with different types of life crises. MensLine provides support for men struggling with family and relationship concerns.

Qualified professionals are available online or over the phone, anywhere anytime.

Call 1300 789 978 or visit www.mensline.org.au.

2. Dads in Distress: This service provides a phone line and 24/7 online peer-support groups as well as in-person community support groups for dads struggling with a family breakup.

Call the national helpline on 1300 853 437 or connect on Facebook.

3. Sane Australia: Sane Australia connects people struggling with mental illness with a medical professional over the phone or via online chat. You can also access online forums where you can anonymously seek advice and support.

Call 1800 857 263 or visit https://www.sane.org/get-help.

4. Beyond Blue : Beyond Blue’s support line is available 24/7, but they also provide online information and resources for men struggling to connect.

For immediate support call 1300 224 636 or visit https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support.

For resources and support for men, visit https://www.beyondblue.org.au/who-does-it-affect/men.

5.Lifeline: For crisis support, Lifeline provides a 24/7 line, as well as online resources on a range of issues affect both men and women.

Call 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au.

6. Suicide Call Back Service: The Suicide Call Back Service is a nationwide service that provides free 24-hour telephone, video and online counselling.

Call 1300 659 467 or visit www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au.

7. Griefline: For many men, thoughts of self harm are triggered by a life trauma. For those struggling with grief, Griefline provides a 24/7 online counselling service and phone support.

Call 1300 845 745 or 03 9935 7400, or visit https://griefline.org.au.

Find out more about the work of Gotcha4Life by visiting gotcha4life.org.

News.com.au is raising the profile of men’s mental health issues.