Men's Sheds: A Community Approach to Promoting Mental Health and Well-being

Abstract

Abstract This paper introduces an innovative community approach to promoting mental health and well-being for men: Men's Sheds. In Australia, Men's Sheds have provided an opportunity for men, and people who work with men, to engage their concerns in a partnership mode and in a non-pathologising manner. This has practical implications in the areas of social connectedness, mental health and suicide prevention. Men's Sheds benefit both older and younger men in Australian society. While so far Sheds have developed largely out of grassroots efforts, future planning and policy on funding such projects require further evidence-based exploration. This paper presents current knowledge pertaining to best-practice for Victorian Men's Sheds, including the bio-psycho-social and structural realms. Accordingly, the action areas of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion through a gendered approach to mental health are addressed. Keywords: men's health; men's shedsmental healthwellbeingcommunityprimary health carehealth promotion