Men, it's time to speak up when you are feeling down - Health experts

KUALA LUMPUR - While it is definitely important for men to take care of their physical health, mental and emotional health cannot be neglected as they also contribute to overall wellbeing.

Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (SMCV) consultant psychiatrist Dr Celine Chan Tze Lin shared that men who are unable to speak openly about their emotions may find it challenging to recognise symptoms of mental health problems, thus less likely to reach out for support.

"Some signs that a friend or family member may have a mental illness and could need your help are feelings of sadness, anxiety, worry, irritability, sleep problems, no longer having an interest in their hobbies and do not seem to enjoy anything anymore.

"When these feelings get very intense, last for a long period of time, and begin to interfere with work and relationships, it may be a sign of a mental health problem,” she said in a statement published by SMCV in conjunction with men’s health awareness month.

Dr Chan said having a strong support system for men has many positive benefits including better-coping skills, reduce depression, anxiety and stress, and without it, they might likely use unhealthy coping methods and avoid talking to family or friends about their mental health.

According to a 2021 report by Frontiers in Psychiatry, suicide rates have increased significantly for males in Malaysia between 2014 and 2019, and overall, there were approximately 1,841 suicide deaths in 2019, or five deaths every day in the country.

Meanwhile, SMCV consultant urologist Datuk Dr Selvalingam Sothilingam said besides discussing mental health issues, men are also advised to conduct self-checks and seek treatment for diseases such as cancer as it can produce better treatment outcomes when detected early.

"Silent killers, which refer to cancers that exist and cause minimal symptoms such as prostate and testicular cancer can be cured if detected early. Prostate cancer can be confused with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) which is a benign prostate condition affecting most ageing men and is far more common than cancer.

"Testicular cancer, on the other hand, may begin as a small lump in the testis and is more easily detected but can be missed unless a man performs regular testis self-examination,” he explained.

He said as both cancers can exist without symptoms, and men with a family history of prostate or breast cancer, or men above 50 years old especially those with lower urinary tract symptoms should consult their doctor and consider screening for prostate cancer by doing the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tumour marker test.

On the other hand, testicular cancer risk factors include those with small volume testis with infertility, men with a history of the undescended testis or certain genetic disorders and self-examination of the testis is a good way to detect any hardness or lumps in the area.

It can be a difficult process to receive a cancer diagnosis, and Dr Selvalingam shared that patients can opt to go for counselling to help them through this period.

He said that there are established non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Prostate Cancer Society Malaysia (PCSM) that consist of cancer survivors who can provide words of advice and encouragement and support groups for new cancer patients going through this difficult period.

Dr Chan concurred, adding that hospitals do provide mental health support in their specialised therapy departments in the form of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and clinical counsellors who can help patients along their journey to recovery.

"Men who are going through cancers such as these will feel down as they are having a medical condition related to the reproductive system.

"Psychosocial support from the patient’s loved ones, peers, and healthcare team, alongside regular health check-ups and healthy habits such as exercise, has shown to drastically reduce mental health problems - so we should put an emphasis on that,” she said.

SMCV is located at Lingkaran SV, Sunway Velocity. For enquiries, contact +603 9772 9191 or email [email protected]. More information at www.sunmedvelocity.com.my or Sunway Medical Velocity's Facebook page. - BERNAMA