The Movember Foundation awards $7.9 million to Mental Health Initiatives to improve men and boys' mental health and wellbeing

Toronto, ON (November 19, 2014) – The Movember Foundation is proud to announce $7.9 million in funding for men’s mental health programs, through its Canadian Mental Health Initiative. 

The funding comes from the Foundation’s request for collaborative project ideas aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of men and boys. Three large-scale collaborative team grants with a focus on diverse populations have been awarded funding. The funding is part of the Foundation’s continued commitment to men’s mental health. Together with this initiative the Movember Foundation has invested over $22.6 million into 27 men’s mental health and well-being projects across Canada.

In Canada 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem each year, about 11% of men will experience major depression in the course of their lives, and almost 5% of men will experience an anxiety disorder. In line with the Movember Foundation’s strategic goals, the Canadian Mental Health initiative aims to address one or more of the following priority areas; creating mentally healthy workplaces and workers, strengthening the mental health and well-being of men and boys, reducing the number of men and boys who die by suicide, and strengthening social and emotional skills in young men and boys. Proposals were submitted in August 2014, reviewed, rated and ranked by an independent panel of international mental health experts, which included representation from across Canada.

“It’s with thanks to our Mo Bros and Mo Sistas that sign up every Movember that we are able to provide programs to men in need of mental health support.” said Pete Bombaci, Country Director, Movember Canada. “The power of the moustache is helping to break down barriers and allows us to invest in such incredible programs that are helping to improve the lives of those men living with and beyond mental health issues.”

“Men face a unique set of challenges when it comes to their mental health, and with this initiative we are working towards implementing programs that will address those challenges head-on” said Clare Shann, Global Mental Health Lead, Movember Foundation.

“I am proud to be a Mo Bro and I am growing a moustache to help raise funds and awareness for men’s health,” said Mo BroTheo Fluery. “Its incredible that as a community we have come together and helped Movember fund great programs that will support men struggling with anxiety and depression, as well as providing support to help prevent suffering.” 

The three funded projects are:

• Université de Moncton - Mind the Heart: Best Practices for Prevention, Early Identification and Treatment of Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Men with Heart Disease
• University of Calgary - Early Identification and Prevention of Major Depression in Male Workers
• Labrador Grenfell Regional Health Authority - Pathways to mental wellness for Indigenous boys and men: Community-led and land-based programs in the Canadian North

For more information on Movember Foundation programs visit our Report Cards.

These projects have been made possible by our community that donates every year at Movember.com. For more information on Movember and to donate visit Movember.com.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Jill Kenney

Fresh PR

jill@getfreshpr.com

778 837 1122

About the Movember Foundation

The Movember Foundation's vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men's health. We do this by getting men to grow moustaches during Movember (the month formerly known as November) to spark conversation and raise funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health. Together with the Movember community we have raised more than $574 million CAD, and have funded more than 800 world-class programs in 21 countries. We're committed to changing the face of men's health and won't stop growing as long as serious men's health issues remain. Movember is a registered charity in Canada - BN 848215604 RR0001. For more information visit Movember.com.