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Weekly News Roundup
November 28, 2016
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Dennis J. Barbour, JD, Editor
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'As boys, we are told to be brave': men on masculinity and mental health
Efforts have been made to challenge traditional stereotypes, but there is still pressure on men to be strong, independent, stoical, competitive and tough. According to research published by the American Psychological Association, these "masculine traits" have been linked with mental health issues such as depression and substance abuse.
'Sexist' men more likely to have mental health issues, study finds
Joel Wong, who led the research team at Indiana University Bloomington, said: "In general, individuals who conformed strongly to masculine norms tended to have poorer mental health and less favourable attitudes toward seeking psychological help, although the results differed depending on specific types of masculine norms." The research collated results of more than 70 US-based studies involving more than 19,000 men over 11 years. It focused on the relationship between mental health and conformity to 11 masculine norms. They included a desire to win, need for emotional control, and risk-taking. The traits most closely linked to mental health problems were playboy behaviour or sexual promiscuity, Wong said.
The Guardian, November 24, 2016
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Being a Boy in an Unconventional Way
While other children play soccer or video games, Campbell "Bumble" Remess hunches over a sewing machine, crafting stuffed animals. "I just like coming home and sewing," said Remess in a video by Feed SBS about his toy making, which has been viewed 29 million times on Facebook. Even when mom Sonya "Son" Whittaker encourages him to do something else, Remess "sneaks" back to make more stuffed animals. "If Campbell could be on that sewing machine 24/7, he would. It's 'Campbell, go and play your Xbox.' 'Campbell come and watch a movie,'" she said in the video.
"He's just not a normal kid. Not every 12 year old would want to do that." Over the past three years, Remess has made more than 800 plush toys, many of which he personally delivers to sick children at the local hospital. "I literally shake with emotion - it's an incredible thing to witness," Whittaker told TODAY via email. "One small idea, one small gesture can make huge impacts." Remess, who lives in Hobart, Tasmania, was 9 he asked his parents if he could buy Christmas gifts for sick children. He wanted to do something to brighten their spirits. His parents said no; Remess is one of nine children and it's hard enough buying for their brood.
Today, October 31, 2016
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Stopping the Spread of Japan's Antivaccine Panic
Tokyo's indecisiveness in the face of controversy has fueled unfounded doubts about the safety of the HPV vaccine.
In June 2013, just two months after the HPV vaccine was included in the National Immunization Program, the Japanese government made the unusual and perplexing decision to keep the vaccine in the NIP but suspend "proactive" recommendations for it. This was evidently in response to highly publicized accounts of alleged adverse reactions. The result was that girls in the target age group, from the 6th grade of primary school to the third grade of high school, stopped receiving the vaccine. Vaccination rates dropped to below 1% from about 70%.
Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2016
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| 1 in 7 Young Teens Is a Stalking Victim: Survey
They're at higher risk of substance abuse and depression, researchers say
"Teen stalking is a public health issue. A lot of kids are being stalked," said Dennis Reidy, a behavioral scientist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's division of violence prevention. He is lead author of a study reporting the survey findings. The new study is based on a 2013 written survey of over 1,200 students -- average age 14 -- in grades 6 and 9 at 13 U.S. schools. About two-thirds of the participants were white. The results showed that about 14 percent of the girls and about 13 percent of the boys had been stalking victims. Unwanted messages, such as voice mails and texts, were among the most common forms of stalking. Stalking victims were more likely to show signs of post-traumatic stress and mood disorders (including depression), and they appeared to be less hopeful based on their answers to other questions. They also were more likely to report alcohol use, binge drinking, and violence directed at them in dating relationships. And they were also more likely to be sexually active, the findings showed.
The study was published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Medline Plus, November 23, 2016
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Cancer, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) resulted in the death of around 4.6 million men worldwide in 2012. Around 14% of the world's total annual deaths are as a result of various cancers. Modern medicine has extended the life expectancy of a cancer patient by a great margin. However newer cases are diagnosed every year globally, the present rate stands at 7.4 million newly diagnosed males annually, according to the WHO. This is commonly as a result of the changing lifestyles, unhealthy diet, hereditary factors and exposure to carcinogenic elements, cigarette smoking, etc. Male specific cancers include: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and penile cancer. Among which prostate cancer is the most prevalent form of male cancer. Male specific cancers are generally benign/malignant tumors that rarely undergo metastasis. Penile cancers are an even rarer form of cancer specific to the male reproductive organ i.e. penis, but unlike prostate and testicular cancer, they are commonly as a result of human papiloma virus (HPV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. According to the U.S National Cancer Institute study roughly 40% of all penile cancer is as a result of HPV infections, whereas HIV patients exhibit eight time increased risk of penile cancer. Hence penile cancer rates are high in developing countries of Africa, South Asia and South America. This is probably why vaccination for HPV virus (Gardasil or Cervarix) is regarded by a share of expert medical practitioners as a preventive measure in decreasing penile cancer rates globally.
Medgadget, November 22, 2016
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UK: Charities launch coalition to tackle issues facing men and boys
More than 50 UK charities, academics, journalists and campaigners have launched a new coalition to tackle gender-specific issues that affect men and boys. The Men and Boys Coalition, which was launched at an event in the House of Commons last week, has also called on the Big Lottery Fund to create a new Men and Boys Initiative to run alongside its existing ringfenced funding stream for women and girls. Charities involved in the coalition, which brings together organisations and people who specialise in fields ranging from mental health and suicide prevention to education and parenting, include the Campaign Against Living Miserably, the male domestic abuse charity the ManKind Initiative and the sexual violence charity Survivors Manchester. A statement announcing the new initiative said it was believed to be the first coalition of its type in the world and it would aim to ensure that issues affecting men and boys were fully recognised and tackled by government, the statutory sector and society in general.
Third Sector, November 22, 2016
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The Vaccines have spoken out about raising awareness for depression among men and using music to fight it, as they join a new campaign for male mental health with Years & Years, Frank Turner and more. This week, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) launches 'Torch Songs' - inviting huge artists to cover their favourite songs that highlight the power of music to raise the spirit and help us through darker times. In 2015, 4,618 men took their own lives - an average of 12 men every day and one every two hours. Now, more is being done to use music to combat depression. "Music is a constant, a saviour in the world which is unique to everyone," said project champion and BBC Radio One DJ Huw Stephens. "We all know how much music means to us, and can help us sometimes. The artists involved, sharing their unique cover versions of their personal Torch Songs, are magnificent. The songs strike the right note; give you hope; remind you of the possibilities; remind you you're not alone. We launch Torch Songs with some spectacular talents sharing their intimate Torch Songs with us - it's a great way to get people talking about talking."
NME, November 22, 2016
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Me And My Father's Suicide: The Importance Of Sharing How You Feel
It wasn't until I entered my early twenties that I started to feel comfortable talking about how my father died. It was through being open about his suicide that I ended up having some incredible conversations with others, which over time has helped me to become at peace with what happened. It's also enabled me to reflect on how and why suicide in men has got to where it has, along with my own observations and experiences of growing up as a young man. Traditionally, boys tend to be less familiar and comfortable articulating their emotions. The ability to attach words to feelings is not something that perhaps comes as naturally to boys as it does to girls, and this can potentially be one of the influences that can lead to something as extreme as suicide further down the line.
Huffington Post UK, November 21, 2016
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What more boy births could reveal about South Africa's health status
Our statistical analysis found that as the sex ratio at birth went up - that is, more males were born - so did life expectancy in a strongly related manner. In a similar fashion, as the sex ratio at birth went up the infant and under five mortality rates and total fertility rate went down. Simply put, the degree of statistical correlation between the sex ratio at birth and the other sentinel health indicators was strong and highly significant. This strongly indicates to us that sex ratio at birth in South Africa may be a sentinel health indicator. Correlation does not, of course, mean causation. However, other evidence from the past decade or so boosts our supposition.
Medical Express, November 21,2016
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The Weekly News Roundup is produced by The Partnership for Male Youth and is released every Monday.
For more information contact Dennis J. Barbour, JD. News Roundup editor and President/CEO of the Partnership, at [email protected].
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