About Reach Out NS
4 out of 10
Nova Scotians experience mental health challenges.
Men who reach out for support – whether it’s from a family member, a friend or a mental health professional, or an online resource – find help for their mental health challenges.
There are many options for reaching out.
Browse the website to find mental health resources available in Nova Scotia, as well as community organizations to connect with.
Why are we
focused on men?
While rates of mental health conditions are similar between men and women, men are less likely to seek help for their mental health, and more likely to die by suicide.
Men can feel pressure to appear strong, tough and self-reliant.
This makes it harder to recognize signs of poor mental health and reach out for support.
Empowering men to seek help creates a ripple effect to break down stigma.
Positive role models who value mental well-being can inspire younger generations of men to follow suit.
Men are diverse and their experiences and needs are not all the same.
Men who identify as Indigenous, 2SLGBTQT+, African Nova Scotian/ of African descent and/or from racialized communities may be more likely to experience mental health challenges due to experiences of stigma, racism, discrimination, and homophobia.
Men can support their mental health by focusing on protective factors.
Protective factors are things like:
- Having a support network
- Accessing mental health services
- Building effective coping and life skills
- Having a positive self-image and
- Feeling connected to your community and culture.
Building up these protective factors makes us more resilient. That means we’re able to navigate life’s challenges more easily, recover from setbacks faster, and focus on creating a healthier future.