Looking at mental health through the lens of different genders

Statistics show that women experience some mental health conditions at higher rates than men, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, PTSD and self-harm. In contrast, men are more likely to suicide. And trans and gender diverse people can experience very high levels of psychological distress and are significantly more likely to attempt suicide.

As we marked #MentalHealthMonth, this event, emceed by Cathy Brown, DCA Communications & Advocacy Director, and presented in partnership with Gilbert + Tobin, looked at the factors that affect how men, women and gender diverse people experience mental ill health differently, and how workplaces can adopt a gender lens in their approaches to mental health.

Our guest speakers included:

1. Mischa Barr, Policy and Health Promotion Manager, Women’s Health Victoria; and Chair of the Women’s Mental Health Alliance provided insights into drivers and experiences of mental ill-health among women and what that means in a workplace setting,
2. Dr Zac Seidler, Director of Mental Health Training at Movember and Research Fellow with Orygen at the University of Melbourne discussed some of the factors that influence how men experience mental ill health, 
3. Zed Tintor, Deputy CEO, LGBTIQ Health Alliance shared their insights into the trans and gender diverse community and their heightened risk of mental ill health,
4. Rebecca Dunn, Partner, Gilbert + Tobin profiled the work they are doing around wellbeing, and 
5. Margo Lydon, Chief Executive Officer, SuperFriend shared a snapshot of mental health and wellbeing based on gender identity in the Australian workforce.

Event Reviews

“This was one of the most interesting discussions I’ve seen in a long time, thanks to the panel.” Anon, event participant

“This was the best DCA event that I have attended to date.  It was incredibly insightful.  The four guest speakers were all generous with their learnings and were clear and articulate. I learnt a lot – and discussed what I learned from this session with a friend on a phone call last night.  It was such a pity that there were a few technical glitches when Zed spoke.  I found Zed to be an incredibly compelling speaker.” Anon, event participant

“Really enjoyed this event. I marked that I was very satisfied with the panelists, the only fault is it could have been a longer session. All the panelists made poignant and thought provoking comments and thank you to Aunty Norma, her  welcome to country was one of the best I’ve heard.” Anon, event participant

“This was a fantastic event. The best aspect was the diversity of expertise and experience, and the panelists willingness to engage deeply with the topic rather than the normal surface level treatment of discussions around mental ill health.” Anon, event participant