This International Men's Day (19 November), Braith Anasta and Kieran Foran are throwing their support behind SANE's Better Off With You campaign – an evidence-informed suicide prevention and mental health resource to help men in NSW stay in the game with their mental health and help prevent more lives being lost to suicide.
Both Anasta and Foran's lives have sadly been touched by suicide and mental health challenges, and they want to normalise conversations about mental health among men to encourage others to seek help. Anasta, a former Canterbury Bulldogs player and host of Fox Sports Australia's 360 program, has been a passionate advocate for men's mental health for decades, with his father tragically dying by suicide when Braith was 15 years old.
"Losing dad was a huge shock to me and the family. We didn't see if coming and it impacted us tremendously – it's something that we probably never will get over. And sadly, suicide is still the biggest killer for men aged 15-44," he said. "When you play professional sport as I do, you see a lot of your mates going through some really horrible times and not really talking about it. So many men are facing battles that can lead to anxiety or depression – whether that's due to financial pressures, separation from their kids, or bullying at school. We all go through tough times. "I don't want to see any young man or any male for that matter going through it alone." In November 2023, Foran experienced the tragic loss of his stepson Logan, who took his own life at age 20. He said the campaign is deeply personal – and an important opportunity to help men become more open about sharing how they're travelling mentally. "Going through the unthinkable of losing Logan has opened our eyes to just how precious life is, and how a loved one's mental health can change so quickly," he said. "We need encourage men and boys to feel safe and supported in sharing what they're going through and what's on their minds. "Your mental health is hands down the most important foundation to a fulfilling life. It's not about your job title, your bank balance, your social circle or your fame. What really matters is how you're feeling within yourself. "We want to help tackle stigma and normalise men talking openly about their mental health – asking for help should be seen as a sign of strength." Better Off With You unpacks the warning signs that men should look out for that their mental health might be struggling, providing evidence-based advice on the actions they can take to find support for themselves or a mate who might be at risk of suicide. It shares practical tools to help men check in with their mates and themselves, to get ahead of issues before they become bigger problems and take meaningful steps towards better mental health. "Men's help-seeking behaviours tend not to follow women's – and we know that for many men, sharing how they're feeling can be really difficult," said Dr Rahul Khanna, SANE's Chief Clinical Officer. "Better Off With You empowers men to feel comfortable speaking up, signposting avenues where men can access help or share what they are going through. For example, SANE's anonymous discussion Forums on the Better Off With You website are a place men can confide in others. Anecdotally, many men have shared that posting on SANE's Forums is often the first time they've told anyone what's really going on for them. This can be an important stepping stone to prioritising their mental health and getting the support they need. "Backed by 24/7 monitoring and follow up by SANE's professional moderators, this is an important space to help men access help and connect with clinical crisis support to help prevent suicide." Funded by the NSW Government, the latest Better Off With You campaign shares personal stories from real men in a series of videos sharing their lived experience of navigating mental health challenges, including recovering beyond a suicide crisis. For Anasta, exercise plays a crucial role is personal mental health toolkit, particularly when retiring from professional footy in 2015. "I live with anxiety and life isn't always easy, but training has been a great outlet for me. Keeping busy and active really helps you to feel good about yourself. If my mates are struggling, I tell them to come and train with us, and we do a group session every morning – it makes us feel a lot better right away. "Whenever I've spoken about my mental health before, it was unbelievable the number of men who reached out to me that weren't doing well or who wanted to say thank you. "So many of us are going through the same thing, and I think it's so important that we help each other and be vocal about supporting each other's mental health."
