MEDIA RELEASE 07/11/07  

Dads in Distress Inc. commends the ALP (Australian Labour Party) on it?s announcement to develop a National Men’s Health Policy:

http://www.labor.com.au/media/1107/mshea050.php    DIDS has advocated for a National Men’s Health Policy for over eight years, and will continue to support and lobby whichever government is in power to bring such a policy to fruition. DIDS sees this as an essential step toward improving the health of Australian males.  In particular, DIDS advocates on behalf of men who have or are going through the trauma of family and relationship breakdown, divorce or separation, for improvement in services which address the psychological and emotional needs of men.   External factors such as: 
1. the practice and legislation of Family Law, 
2. the Child Support system (despite recent improvements), 
3. poor legal, mental health, and social service provision for men going through relationship breakup, as well as 
4. the pressure of societal expectations on men’s behaviour  are important issues which need to be considered when addressing the health risks of men experiencing relationship breakdown.   Research supports the view that level emotional and psychological health is often reflected in an individual level of physical well being. A holistic approach, inclusive of physical, social, psychological and spiritual factors, needs to be adopted in response to improving Men’s Health in

Australia.   
Middle aged males are over-represented in suicide statistics, and research clearly indicates that men experiencing relationship breakdown are at a higher risk of considering and acting on suicidal thoughts, than the general population. We can provide better services and more adequately support men going through relationship breakdown. DIDS will proactively seek to address this issue in any policy on Men’s Health.