Shaping the Tasmanian Mental Health Strategy
Men’s Resources Tasmania (MRT) has officially submitted its feedback on the consultation for the draft Tasmanian Mental Health Strategy. As an organization dedicated to the wellbeing of men and boys, we believe it is vital that male voices and lived experiences are actively included in shaping the state's healthcare future.
Key Takeaways from Our Submission
The Missing Voice: There is currently a distinct lack of any significant, funded organization dedicated to the health and wellbeing needs of men and boys in Tasmania, meaning their perspectives are frequently left out of critical policy conversations.
Urgent Health Disparities: Nationally, males account for three-quarters of all suicides and experience shorter life expectancies, yet current suicide prevention and health activities often fail to effectively reach them.
The Funding Gap: Despite these stark statistics, government funding for male health is less than a quarter of that allocated for women's health. Aside from a small, specifically funded program supporting men in and leaving the prison system, MRT’s advocacy and consultation work relies entirely on self-funded and volunteer resources.
A Call for Peak Body Representation: To bridge these gaps, we are urging the Tasmanian government to fund a lead advocacy organization or peak body to represent the diversity of male health perspectives and bring evidence-based, male-friendly expertise into the broader sector.
Read the Full Submission
We want to ensure the health and community sectors are equipped to support everyone equitably. To dive deeper into our recommendations on workforce diversity, lived experience networks, and early intervention, you can read our full response below.
