By Rodrick Lal
The world is changing at a rapid pace. Technology allows us to connect locally and overseas with our family, our work, and minute-to-minute news within moments. What do these changes mean for us? As individuals, we know that changes can increase our levels of stress, which can lead to anxiety or depression, and overall worsening of our mental health. Yet we are often afraid to talk about mental health. The Movember Foundation has funded a national study for South, East and Southeast Asian men; to help us talk about the challenges we are facing and to provide us with new skills to manage our mental health and wellbeing.
Although men and women are equally affected by mental health issues, men are much less likely to seek help, in part, because we are taught to hide our emotions and to solve our own problems. The study, Strength in Unity, is happening in Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver. SFU, UBC, and Vancouver Coastal Health are all involved in this study. If you are a South Asian man of 17 years of age or older, who can speak and read in English, we welcome you to join the study and attend these educational workshops. You will be compensated $55 for your time and travel for each workshop session you attend.
I have worked as teacher, school counselor and a therapist for the past 20 years. In my experience, male students often try to deal with their stress and anxiety alone. They do not know who to turn to or how to talk about what they are going through. This often leads to unhealthy behaviours, such as using alcohol and other drugs to cope, fighting with friends and family, and staying out all the time. It does not have to be this way and there are ways to be happier and healthier for yourself and your family. For example, I had a student who did not want to go school or hangout with friends, he had difficulty sleeping and difficulty paying attention in class. He was not open to seeking help because his family was very concerned about what people in the community might say about their son. But when their son started drinking, fighting, not attending school, and even getting arrested by the police, they asked for my support. This young man was diagnosed with depression, and with his family’s support and treatment he was able to recover and is now doing well at university.
As men within our community, we have to manage finances, care for our families, and respond to family conflict, while dealing with cultural change and immigration challenges. For many of us, moving to Canada meant we had to create new friendships, and deal with increased workloads because of our changed social status. It is for this reason that this project is so important. We hope to spark a conversation with South, East and Southeast Asian men about mental health and the stigma surrounding it. Our hope is that men will share their experiences, and contribute to meaningful discussions about improving their mental health.
I encourage all men who live with a mental illness, are living with someone who has a mental illness or are interested in learning about improving their own mental health to join the study. For more information on the study please contact the team via email or phone, or visit our website.
Rodrick Lal, MPA, MA, RCC is a former teacher and school counsellor in the Vancouver School Board. Currently he is a co- investigator for the Movember Strength in Unity Project and completing his PhD in Health Science at SFU.
