BRAVE hosts events for men's mental health

Students are welcome to participate in “No Shave November” this year as part of a movement to raise awareness of men’s mental health and wellbeing.

Western Washington University’s Building Resilience And Voicing Empathy for All Students (BRAVE) is organizing a “Movember” movement that includes events to inspire men and women to support men’s wellbeing and raises awareness about men’s mental health issues throughout November.

The movement encourages students to address the issues that men face and reduce stigmas attached to male stereotypes. Students are encouraged to grow facial hair or wear fake mustaches or beards during November to raise awareness of men’s mental health issues.

“People always associate November with ‘no shave November’ and growing a mustache for the month of November could be a sign to support men’s mental health,” BRAVE Volunteer Event Planner Ian Vincent said.

More men die by suicide nationally than women and are less likely to seek services, but more likely to use ineffective coping styles such as drugs and alcohol, Suicide Prevention Grants Manager Farrah Greene-Palmer said.

“Men are often taught to not show weakness and some view seeking services or support as a weakness,” Greene-Palmer said. “However, trusting someone with your vulnerability takes courage.”

Movember is an international movement that focuses on men’s health, specifically prostate health, testicular cancer, and mental health, but the Movember movement at Western is focusing on men’s mental health.

“It is important for us to promote healthy living and accessing resources and healthcare services,” Greene-Palmer said. “This can be especially salient for men who are less likely to seek services, which can lead to poorer outcomes or a lower life expectancy.”

BRAVE is Western’s suicide prevention program that take an upstream approach and educates students on their resources and what is available to them, how to approach someone dealing with depression, and how to encourage someone to seek resources, Vincent said.

“Upstream” suicide prevention means helping students when they report emotional distress and not at the point when they are in crisis, Greene-Palmer said.

“Often we respond when someone is in crisis or has reached a crisis point. It is more effective to teach people tools and intervene earlier,” Greene-Palmer said. “In fact, if we think of statistics at Western, 60 percent of students report high or extreme stress or depression and anxiety, in contrast to 12 percent who report suicidal thoughts in the last year. If we intervene earlier, we can reach more people and have a greater impact.”

The five “Movember” events include:

“Open Your Mind: Mental Health Resource Fair”

“Open Your Mind: Mental Health Resource Fair” is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5 and Thursday, Nov. 6 in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room on Western’s campus.

The resource fair is a campaign for suicide prevention focusing on increasing use of resources, building resilience, reducing stigma and promoting positive community and peer support.

The resource fair will include a relaxation station with massage therapists, therapy dogs, information on the counseling center, coping techniques, activities for reducing stress, resource organizations, and identity groups from on and off-campus.

“The Boys in the Boat” Discussion

“The Boys in the Boat” discussion will be a group discussion of men’s mental health issues and themes explored in Western Reads selection “The Boys in the Boat” from 4-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12 in Viking Union Room 565 on Western’s campus.

“The book ‘The Boys in the Boat’ is focused on a lot of themes of men’s resilience, men’s mental health issues and the stigmas attached to those ideas,” Vincent said.

The book is about overcoming hardships through peer support, mentoring by older males, and moving forward after failure or loss, Greene-Palmer said.

“Social support is an important protective factor for suicide and mental health,” Greene-Palmer said. “Also, having a close relationship with one adult can lead to positive outcomes, such as finishing school and having healthy relationships, even for individuals identified as being at risk.”

Former Detroit Lions Quarterback Eric Hipple’s Presentation

Former Detroit Lions quarterback Eric Hipple will provide insight to mental fitness, mental illness, stigma, and the traditional concept of masculinity by drawing on his experiences with depression, grief, and his son’s suicide at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19 in Arntzen Hall Room 100 on Western’s campus. 

Hipple aims to inspire his audience to reach out before they get to a crisis point.

“Walk of Hope”

The “Walk of Hope” will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20 in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room on Western’s campus.

The “Walk of Hope” will create a space where the community can discuss and help break down stigmas surrounding depression and suicide. Student and faculty speakers will share how suicide has personally affected their lives.

The goal of “Walk of Hope” is to encourage hope in the community and increase awareness regarding suicide and suicide prevention.

“WWU Movember Fashion Show”

The “WWU Movember Fashion Show,” BRAVE’s closing event for mental health awareness month, is at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24 in Old Main Theater on Western’s campus.

Vincent is organizing the closing fashion show and plans to take pictures of students every Thursday throughout November to document their facial hair progress. Fake mustaches will be provided to students who cannot or choose not to grow facial hair, Vincent said.

“I want to be able to award students for certain categories like best mustache, best attempt, and reasons why you support men’s mental health,” Vincent said.

BRAVE will review the pictures throughout the month and select the best pictures of students growing their facial hair. Those selected will be invited to participate in the “WWU Movember Fashion Show” at the end of the month.

“I hope Movember gets students talking and being more aware of men’s mental health issues,” Vincent said. “It seems like students do not really know what resources we have available on campus and have the wrong idea of what counseling is. I want them to know what resources are available, know what they do, and not be so afraid to go seek help.”

Students suffering from mental health issues or students dealing with a friend suffering from mental health issues should consult with Western’s counseling center at (360) 650-3164 or the national suicide hotline 1-800-273-TALK, Greene-Palmer said.

For more information on the Movember movement at Western, visit BRAVE’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wwuBRAVE or email Farrah Greene-Palmer at Farrah.Greene-Palmer@wwu.edu.