Bupa and Movember launch men's mental health initiative
Bupa has partnered with men’s health charity Movember to help more men stay engaged with mental health support, following research showing that 45 per cent of men disengage from therapy before completing treatment.
Through the partnership, clinicians across Bupa's Mindplace mental health centres in Australia will complete Movember's evidence-based Men in Mind training programme, which aims to improve engagement and retention among male patients. Research underpinning the Men in Mind programme found that 87 per cent of Australian men who died by suicide had accessed a health service in the year before their death.
Developed by Movember's Dr Zac Seidler, clinical psychologist and Global Director of Men's Health Research, Men in Mind equips mental health practitioners with evidence-based strategies to engage men more effectively, improve therapeutic alliance, and support men to stay connected to care.
The partnership reflects a shared recognition that healthcare systems have a critical role to play in engaging and retaining men in mental health care with government data suggesting women are 40 per cent more likely to see a psychologist for mental health issues[1].
Mindplace Clinical Director, Jason Vella said: “Mental health is one of the defining healthcare challenges of our time, and better outcomes depend not only on expanding access to support, but ensuring people remain engaged once they seek help.
“Too many men are still falling through the gaps in traditional models of care. This training helps scale research-backed approaches that support earlier intervention, improve engagement and ultimately ensure more people receive the care they need before reaching crisis point.
Too many men are still falling through the gaps in traditional models of care. This training helps scale research-backed approaches that support earlier intervention, improve engagement and ultimately ensure more people receive the care they need before reaching crisis point.
“This programme is part of Bupa’s ambition to strengthen preventive mental healthcare through our growing global network of Mindplace centres and connected digital services, helping more people access personalised support earlier,” Mr Vella said.
Early results from the global Men in Mind programme have shown 94 per cent of respondents felt more confident working with male clients after completing the training, and 98 per cent reported an improvement in their score on the Engaging with Men in Therapy Scale (EMITS).
A further 85 per cent said they had since applied what they learned in their own practice. Among those clinicians, 59 per cent reported improved engagement with male clients, either through greater client openness, or clinicians feeling more confident in those conversations.
Dr Zac Seidler, Global Director of Research at Movember, said: "When it comes to men's mental health, getting men through the door is only part of the challenge - keeping them engaged in support is equally important.
“Through our partnership with Bupa and its Mindplace centres, we're helping clinicians better understand how men experience and express mental health concerns, and how to build stronger therapeutic relationships. This investment in clinician training has the potential to improve care for thousands of men and ensure more men receive the support they need, for as long as they need it,” Dr Seidler said.
Bupa has plans to open 60 sites worldwide by 2027. The expansion reflects Bupa’s wider focus on improving access to timely, preventive and personalised mental healthcare at a time of growing global demand.
[1] Patient Experiences, 2024-25 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics
