Charter for Men's Mental Health
Our summary
The Charter for Men’s Mental Health, published by the Australian Men’s Health Forum (AMHF) in 2021, sets out a national policy framework to improve how governments and service providers address men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
Men experience a higher burden of mental ill-health yet remain significantly under-represented among clients of government-funded support services. The Charter argues that mainstream approaches are not effectively reaching men and boys and calls for targeted, gender-responsive action.
It establishes seven guiding principles for reform:
Make men’s mental health a priority across all levels of policy and funding.
Audit access to services to ensure programs effectively reach men.
Reach out early to men in distress linked to life crises such as job loss, relationship breakdown, or financial hardship.
Help services help more men by training staff in male-friendly, practical support approaches.
Hear men’s stories of lived experience to inform all aspects of policy and service design.
Fund grassroots services run by and for men to build local capacity.
Support men in all their diversity, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, LGBTQIA+ men, migrants, and those in rural communities.
The Charter also highlights the economic and social costs of inaction, noting that three in four suicides in Australia are men.
For community work professionals, it offers an evidence-based advocacy tool to embed gender equity into mental-health strategy, strengthen local initiatives, and champion systemic reform.