RESEARCH FINDS MANY PRACTITIONERS FEEL UNDERPREPARED TO NAVIGATE MEN’S DISTRESS Movember launches national rollout of Men in Mind tools to build trust, foster openness, and improve outcomes for men seeking support
With
Dr Zac Seidler,
Clinical Psychologist & Global Director,Men’s Health Research,
Movember &
Associate Professor, Orygen,
The University of Melbourne
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | June 2025
Movember’s Men in Mind expands nationally to equip mental health professionals with the tools to better connect with men before they reach crisis point. Research conducted by the Men’s Health Research team at Movember has found men account for three in every four suicide deaths in Australia, and more than 50% had sought help in the year before they died.
These confronting figures expose a critical disconnect between men reaching out and the mental health system’s ability to engage them in ways that keep them connected to care. Movember is taking action to help close that gap.
Led by the Movember Institute of Men’s Health, Men in Mind is an evidence-based training program developed by Dr. Zac Seidler, a clinical psychologist and Global Director of Men’s Health Research at Movember, that equips clinicians with the tools, confidence, and practical strategies to better connect with men before they reach crisis point.
Despite their best efforts, many practitioners feel underprepared to navigate men’s distress in clinical settings. Men in Mind addresses this gap by providing practical tools to build trust, foster openness, and improve outcomes for men seeking support. The program is specifically designed for mental health professionals, including psychologists, counsellors, and other frontline mental health workers.
Through a mix of self-directed online learning, video demonstrations, and reflective practice, Men in Mind teaches mental health professionals how to adapt their language, build rapport, explore emotional communication and respond to distress and suicidality in ways that resonate with men. It also includes interactive scenarios based on real client experiences.
Australian Health Journal spoke to Dr. Zac Seidler, Global Director, Men’s Health Research, Movember about the world-first randomised controlled trial his team conducted demonstrating significant improvements in practitioners’ confidence and competence to engage and respond to help-seeking men. After completing the program, 82% of practitioners reported increased confidence working with men experiencing suicidality, up from 47% at baseline, with these gains maintained over time.
The national rollout of Men in Mind follows strong interest from mental health services across Australia, with the program already being adopted in both public and private practice settings. Men in Mind is part of Movember’s broader commitment to changing the face of men’s health by backing scalable, evidence-based programs that support early intervention and work to improve the lives of men, their families and communities.
Practitioners can learn more and enrol in the Men in Mind course at meninmind.movember.com.
Source: Adapted from Movember Men in Mind Media Release 9th June 2025
-
Upskilling & empowering Health Professionals to support preconception to pre-school level health
A new podcast series, developed by Health and Wellbeing Queensland, is designed to upskill and empower health professionals in their support of parents from preconception through to the pre-school years.
Clinician’s Guide to the First 2000 Days follows the success of Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s first podcast series Clinician’s Guide to Healthy Kids, launched in 2023. Both focus on supporting health professionals to have effective conversations on positive health behaviours.
-
New horizons in unified oral health care
The Oral Health Association of Australia (OHAA) is the peak professional association representing Oral Health Practitioners (dental hygienists, dental therapists and oral health therapists) to support and promote the continued growth and development of oral health across Australia.
In October 2025, OHAA held its inaugural Congress as a new association entity to celebrate and advance the shared goals of the oral health workforce and community. This year’s Congress was held to foster learning, collaboration, and growth in the field of oral health.
-
Improved access to technology needed for people with Type 2 Diabetes needing insulin
The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) provides subsidised products for diabetes management; however, disparities exist in access to technology between those with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. While continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are subsidised for Type 1, they are not available for Type 2 diabetes. ADEA advocates for equitable access to these essential tools, emphasising that all individuals with diabetes deserve the resources necessary for optimal management and reduced risk of complications. Without such technologies, many are forced to rely on finger pricking, which can be inconvenient and unsafe in settings such as the workplace and in higher education.
