Shine on
The mental health of young men is an issue in New Zealand, especially for those living in rural communities. Rural communities have limited access to mental health services locally, which means longer travel times and more time off work or school to seek help. The time required also makes it more difficult to seek help confidentially, so stigma is also a barrier to accessing services.
The Lumsden community is typical in this regard. Some of our Nursing students adopted this health issue for their recent research project, after investigating the community needs with local stakeholders.
To help encourage young men not to delay seeking help they might need, the students produced a health promotion message which could be stuck onto a keyring/torch, something which the men would be likely to carry around with them. The message is: "Shine the light on your mental health - free text 1737."