A leading global men’s health advocacy organization has launched an interactive online tool to give people the confidence to have difficult discussions with friends, family members and colleagues who may be struggling with a critical life issue.
Movember Conversations offers practical guidance on talking to those hurting because of job loss, social isolation and family pressure. Using multiple choice questions, the program guides the user through typical scenarios, teaching conversational prompts and responses that help to open a conversation and keep it flowing meaningfully. It uses simulated conversations to explore and practice how a person might navigate a difficult talk with someone. Movember Conversations also includes advice on how to be a good listener and how to create a setting of trust and openness.
The program, developed by mental health experts, comes from The Movember Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing awareness to men’s health issues such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer, mental health and suicide. Since its founding in 2003, the organization has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to help fund more than 1,200 men’s health projects, according to its website. City Dads Group, starting with its founding NYC Dads Group outpost in 2011, has raised more than $120,000 in direct donations and sponsorship matches to support the Movember Foundation and its partners.
“In the world of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to stay connected and look out for each other. But it’s not always obvious how to do that,” the Movember Conversation page states. “Starting a conversation with a friend, partner or colleague who might be struggling can be hard; we often don’t know where to start or what to say – or we worry we’ll say the wrong things.”
Movember Conversations focuses only on three topics for now, but is expected to add many more in coming months.
Photos: Movember
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