07 | Brand Introduction

MARKET SITUATION

KUSHTY

THE PROBLEM

“12.5% of men in the UK are suffering from one of the common mental health disorders” (Men’s Health Forum, 2017)

“In England, around 1 in 8 men have a common mental health problem and suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45” (Mental Health Foundation, 2020)

“The proportion of UK students declaring mental health conditions has doubled in 5 years” (Turner, 2019)

We have come to realise that there is a lack of understanding around mental health in comparison to other illnesses or diseases (TEDxTalks, 2017). An example of this is highlighted through the language used when describing people with either a mental illness or a life-threatening disease.

Mental illness: “weak, lazy, violent and unmotivated” (TEDxTalks, 2017) Life threatening disease: “Strong, brave, and determined” (TEDxTalks, 2017)

Furthermore, there are still societal barriers which have been proven to affect mental health (Mental Health Foundation, 2020). Stereotypes are a main factor which affect all genders, however, for men, they are not being spoken about as much as others. Traditional stereotypes include “strength, stoicism, dominance and control” (Mental Health Foundation, 2020). This misconception around men’s mental health is important to educate all genders and all ages to help people break the stigma around this conversation. This concept of masculinity is a large area of concern for men as it is evident that men may feel weak when asking for help (BMI Healthcare, 2020).