Men's Health Flashcards
Main leading cause of death for men all ages
Ischaemic heart disease - more than women
Esp age 50-64 - 3x more deaths than females
Causes of death in younger males
Suicide - including injury and poisoning of undetermined intent
(ages 10-34, 35-49)
Mens suicide vs women?
Men 3x more likely to die of suicide
Aged 45-49 = highest risk, but age 50-54 have highest rates
Health seeking behaviour of males - trends
Less likely to visit GP when unwell (except later years in life)
Men tend to present at later stages of illness or when disease has reached critical stage
Men less likely to present with concerns regarding mental health
Men less likely to attend cancer screenings
Why men don’t talk about their mental health?
Learned to deal with it
Don’t want to be a burden
Too embarrassed
Negative stigma
Dont want to admit needs support
Don’t want to appear weak
Have no-one to talk to
- would take suicidal/self harm thoughts for men to present and seek help
Biggest cause of mental health issues in mens lives
Work pressure
Financial issues
Their health
Men’s mental health risk factors
Societal expectations of masculinity
Stress - work, financial, relationship
Substance abuse - affects MH
Trauma - physical or sexual abuse more likely
Relationship breakdown
Lack of social support - fewer social connections
Socio-economic - unemployed
Mid-life - more unhappy
Common symptoms of depression in men
Anger/agitation
Recklessness
Substance abuse
Working obsessively
Core symptoms of depression
- physical symptoms more common in men than women - eg headaches, sobs
Common causes of depression in men
Difficult life events
Family/personal history
Abuse
Personality traits
Physical health issues
Common symptoms of anxiety in men
Alcohol abuse
Drug abuse
Difficulty sleeping
Core anxiety symptoms
= men more likely to self medicate with alcohol or drugs
Common causes of anxiety in men
Genes
Traumatic experience
High stress
Health problems
Lifestyle factors
How to improve men’s mental health?
Raise awareness - reduce stigma
Address societal expectations of masculinity - reduce pressure on men
Improve access to mental health services
Promote health coping mechanisms - exercise, medication, hobbies
Develop targeted interventions - for men at high risk
Understanding - men can present with different symptoms such as aggression or violent behaviour
Men vs women with CVD
Men generally develop CVD at a younger age and have higher risk of coronary heart disease than women
Mortality from CHD and stroke remains higher in men than women
How can we assess someone’s risk of cardiovascular disease?
QRISK3
What does QRISK3 take into account?
Age
Sex
Ethnicity
Smoking status
Diabetes
CKD
Postcode
Severe mental illness?
Erectile dysfunction?
BMI
Systolic BP
Total and HDL cholesterol
