Men’s mental health has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately, with distressing headlines about family and domestic violence incidents.
At the start of last month, 35 Australian women had lost their lives in only 22 weeks.
The perpetrators are not always male, but mostly they are, raising questions about what is creating so many angry, disturbed men who are driven to horrific acts of violence or emotional abuse, often towards people they claim to love.
The vast majority of men find this violence abhorrent, so where are things coming undone?
A finger of blame has been levelled at a lack of support for women needing help, with the number of domestic violence workers labelled a national shame.
In October 2022, the Federal Government allocated $169 million to recruit 500 frontline service and community workers to support people experiencing family violence, but it was recently revealed that only 63 workers had been hired.
The perpetrators are not always male, but mostly they are, raising questions about what is creating so many angry, disturbed men.
In our cover story this month, we unpack the extent of the national epidemic, and the ways experts believe we need to be alert to the early signs.
That includes the role of GPs in picking up subtle signs of abuse, such as the nervous patient continually texting her partner during a consult.
And yes, it does add another layer of work for our overstretched primary care health professionals, who continue to provide a wider range of care, without the wider financial recognition.