Page 48 - Demo

46 MEN’S HEALTH FROM PAGE 45 He adds that diet and exercise play a fundamental role in mood regulation. “What you eat can affect your mood, how you feel and how you sleep, because of the effects of \[dietary choices\] on your microbiome,” Mr Quigley said. “Exercise is fundamental. Anybody who feels anxious or stressed or down ... can change completely when they walk near water or in a park.” This, he says, is why the advice of a dietitian, exercise physiologist or psychologist can help – in terms of “guiding these lifestyle innovations”. Speaking about the importance of stress management, Mr Quigley says that while managing stress “is a little more delicate”, this is where “vitamins and minerals can come into play.” “B group vitamins are very, very important,” he said. “Herbs like rhodiola, withania and St John’s wort all have clinical proof in making a difference in anxiety and mild depression. But we can’t give the impression that we’re offering a pill to change what probably is a very complex situation.” Elaborating on gut health and mental health, Mr Quigley says the “connection between the brain and the gut is a very intimate connection”. “There’s a pathway called the gut-brain axis, which is active 24 hours a day,” he said. “So, how you feel will affect how you eat, what you eat, and when you eat, \[and this\] will affect the outcome. “I’ll give you an example. I read a research article \[recently\] saying that if you snack on junk food before you go to bed, your work performance the next day and your ability to concentrate will suffer, and that shows that your gut is very, very important. So, looking after one \[e.g., your gut health\] will look after the other \[e.g., your mental health\].” The role of retail pharmacy As frontline healthcare professionals, pharmacists and assistants have a vital role to play in terms of providing support to customers who may be displaying signs of mental health concerns. This often starts with a conversation and “asking are they OK and what helps them manage stress in their life”, says Associate Professor Knowles. He adds that normalising mental health concerns by pointing out that “one in five men will experience anxiety and one in eight will experience depression at some stage of their lives”, may help men open up and to seek support. “Provide a positive environment in order to seek and/or clarify information, and recommend appropriate sources of information, to help them identify risk factors,” he said. “Alcohol and drugs exacerbate the symptoms.” Professor Murray agrees that normalising mental health concerns to reduce the perceived taboos around this health issue may help men open up and seek support more readily. He says it’s a space pharmacists play an important role in. “If someone has been prescribed medication for their depression, the pharmacist from whom they’re collecting this medication has a potentially important role in destigmatising depression,” he said. “Talk about depression as if it were diabetes.” CABA (Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association) is a charity that, according to its website, “supports the wellbeing of the chartered accountant community”. The organisation suggests some useful ways in which to start the sometimes difficult conversation around mental health and depression – tips useful to healthcare professionals such as pharmacy staff. While it may be daunting to start conversations around mental health, especially if a healthcare professional feels unprepared or lacks confidence, CABA suggests the following considerations when supporting someone with mental health concerns. CABA’s tips include:3 • Ask ‘how are you?’ in a meaningful way, and sometimes twice, to show your genuine willingness to talk and listen. • Ask open questions such as, ‘How are you feeling at the moment’ or ‘What kinds of thoughts are you having?’ and ‘How can I help?’ • It’s about quality conversations. Conversations don’t have to be long, but being present and minimising distractions are important. • Help them see they’re not alone. • Don’t try and fix it. Just listen well. • Depersonalise the situation. • Be knowledgeable about the support services available. • Keep the conversation going. • Look after yourself, too. “If the pharmacist suspects that someone is suffering from depression, it would be useful to start a discussion that might lead to the person seeking help,” Professor Murray said. “A defining feature of depression is that it skews our perception, decreasing hopefulness and Professor Murray cites the following statistics to illustrate the rise in mental health concerns during the pandemic in 2020, based on the number of calls made to MensLine Australia. During July and August 2020, compared with the previous two months: • Calls about mental health increased by 95 per cent. • Calls about family violence increased by 56 per cent. • Calls about work and employment increased by 48 per cent. • Calls about relationship issues increased by 36 per cent. – and/or it impacts on their ability to be productive and engage in day-to- day activities”. If this happens, he adds, it underscores the importance of “seeking support” from healthcare professionals. Encouraging men to seek support from healthcare professionals when things are not quite right is important. As the Beyond Blue2 organisation points out, “social norms around masculinity” that create an environment in which men feel that “being a man means being silent and strong” can make it harder for men suffering from mental health concerns such as depression to “reach out for support.” While many men may not worry about emotional signs of such concerns, “the reality”, according to Beyond Blue2, “is that depression and anxiety are unlikely to go away on their own and, if they’re ignored and left untreated, they can go on for months, sometimes years, making it hard to cope with day-to- day life.” The role of lifestyle measures Professor Murray and community pharmacist and master herbalist Gerald Quigley agree about the significance of lifestyle measures in the prevention and management of mental health concerns. According to Professor Murray, “lifestyle is part of the foundational treatment for and prevention of mental health problems”. Mr Quigley said: “The biggest influence on issues such as anxiety and depression is lifestyle.” RETAIL PHARMACY • JUN 2021