2015 study<\/a>\u00a0found that more than half the men surveyed had fewer than two friends to have serious conversations with. One in eight men have none.<\/p>\nThis lack of social support can seriously affect a man\u2019s physical and mental health, says Don McCreary. He\u2019s the owner of Toronto-based\u00a0DRM Scientific Consulting, an international consultancy specializing in men\u2019s health.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of research that shows that people who have friends and family that they can talk to tend to be healthier and happier,\u201d he says. \u201cSocial support is really very important.\u201d<\/p>\n
And it could help reverse a concerning trend: men in Canada are more likely than women to suffer from a number of illnesses.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re\u00a011 per cent more likely\u00a0to get cancer and 36 per cent more likely to die when they get the disease. They\u2019re also\u00a0three times more likely than women to commit suicide.<\/p>\n
Men may not seek help early enough and they may be lonely, McCreary says.\u00a0 Studies show that people who are lonely are more likely to die young and suffer from a number of illnesses.\u00a0One study published last year\u00a0found that when lonely people have colds, their symptoms are more severe.<\/p>\n
Despite its name, social media lends little social support. \u201cWe need to realize that having 500 friends on Facebook is not friendship. It\u2019s a false economy,\u201d says McCreary.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to cultivate at least one close friendship with somebody you feel comfortable talking to in times of trouble.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nIn effort to leverage the trusting relationships men have with their barbers, organizations have started programs to train them in recognizing and responding to their clients\u2019 health struggles.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a strategy that Portner uses every day on the job. He often shares his own experiences with his clients to create an open dialogue.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s seen the impact of this with one client in particular.<\/p>\n
A newly-single father told Portner that he was worried he wouldn\u2019t be able to find a partner who would love and accept his children. Portner shared his own experience as a child of divorce and described the positive relationship he has with his stepmother.<\/p>\n
It was the motivation the client needed to start dating and find a loving partner. \u201cHe always says that conversation really helped him get through that tough time,\u201d Portner says. \u201cNow he\u2019s found someone, they\u2019re in love and his life has changed because of it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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