The NSW government has announced $400,000 in grants to provide targeted support to improve men’s mental health and drive down rates of male suicide.
Targeted at community-based mental healthcare providers, the new program offers grants of up to $50,000 for local and grassroots organisations who are working on the ground to support men’s mental health.
NSW accounts for the most male deaths by suicide in Australia. In 2023 alone, there were 934 suspected deaths by suicide in the state, with men accounting for 730, or 78 per cent of these tragedies. The number one cause of death among Australian men aged 15-44 years is suicide.
The launch of the new grants program follows the recent release of the NSW Men’s Mental Health: A focus on suicide prevention report. Recommendations within the report which will inform the Government’s ongoing work in this space include:
• strengthen the peer workforce to support men’s mental health, reduce stigma, increase help-seeking behaviour, and improve mental health literacy,
• expand access to support services for men outside of clinical settings, recognising that clinical settings can be a barrier, and
• ensure policies, programs and services are co-designed with input from men who have lived experience of mental ill-health and those who care for them. Grant applications are until December 15, 2024.
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