Arabic version: جنوب أستراليا تطلق تحقيقاً بشأن صحة الرجال

According to ABC News, the South Australian government will establish a parliamentary inquiry into men’s health challenges, including suicide rates, mental health, stigma around seeking support and harmful online content. Health Minister Blair Boyer said the joint house committee would examine ways to improve men’s access to services and address barriers to getting help.

Mr Boyer said suicide was the leading cause of death for South Australians aged 15 to 44, and that men were three times more likely than women to die by suicide. He described the situation as “really, really alarming” and said the inquiry had been brought into sharp focus by the death earlier this year of Jaryd Dawson, brother of Adelaide Crows captain Jordan Dawson.

The committee is expected to consider the role of sporting clubs, social groups and men’s sheds, as well as digital platforms and algorithms targeted at men. Mr Boyer raised concerns about the online “manosphere” and said young boys could be more likely to encounter negative views about women, health and their place in the world.

Labor MLC Hilton Gumbys will chair the committee, with Cheyne Rich, Ella Shaw, Family First MLC Sarah Game and Greens MLC Robert Simms listed as members. Mr Gumbys said a motion to establish the inquiry was expected to be moved in parliament this week. Ms Game said she wanted better outcomes in diagnosing depression and anxiety in men, and strategies to help boys thrive at school.

Luke Di Sessa, co-founder of SA-based men’s support group Good Better Best Men, welcomed the inquiry as a “step in the right direction”. He said seeking medical and mental health support could be frightening for some men, citing messages such as “don’t cry” and “man up” that can remain with boys into later life.