About Headsupguys
“I found this website during a very dark period of my life, and it gave me so much hope. All the resources before this were really general but HeadsUpGuys helped me feel more connected.” – Age 27, Canada
What started as a simple survey in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, became the catalyst for creating HeadsUpGuys. Men clearly indicated they were having suicidal thoughts on the survey, yet failed to mention these thoughts to the doctor they were about to see.
This led us to creating an online, anonymous resource specifically designed for men, and their families, to prevent the continued erosion of men’s mental health and deaths by suicide. Our website offers tips and articles that arm men with the tools they need to fight depression, as well as recovery stories from men who have faced depression, and an international therapist directory to connect men with local mental health professionals.
Depression and Suicide in Men
- Men die by suicide at a much higher rate than women do (3x times the rate in Canada, the US, and the UK) [1,2,3]
- Suicide is a leading cause of death for men under 50 years old [2,4,5]
- Men are much less likely than women to get help for their mental health [6]
- Over 75% of men who complete our Self Check (a depression screening tool) meet the criteria for probable depression
Research has shown that men face unique challenges in accessing mental health services and resources that adequately meet their needs.[7]HeadsUpGuys was developed specifically to help fill that gap.[8] HeadsUpGuys is founded on a robust evidence base that includes contemporary research findings, as well as the lived experiences of men who have suffered from depression and clinicians who work with these men.
HeadsUpGuys’ content is derived from evidence-based research and includes both clinician and patient perspectives to ensure the accuracy and relatability of our content.
For facts and figures about suicide see Stats on Suicide in Men.
References
- Public Health Agency of Canada. (2020). Suicide in Canada: Key Statistics (infographic) – Canada.ca. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/suicide-canada-key-statistics-infographic.html
- Mental Health Foundation. (2021). Men and mental health. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/men-and-mental-health
- Curtin, S. C., & Hedegaard, H. (2019). Suicide Rates for Females and Males by Race and Ethnicity: United States, 1999 and 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. https://save.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/rates_1999_2017.pdf
- Medical News Today (2020). Leading causes of death in men – 2018. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/leading-causes-of-death-in-men
- Statistics Canada. (2020). Leading causes of death, total population, by age group. https://doi.org/10.25318/1310039401-eng
- Walby, F. A., Myhre, M. V., & Kildahl, A. T. (2018). Contact With Mental Health Services Prior to Suicide: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychiatric Services, 69(7), 751–759. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201700475
- Seidler, Z.E., Rice, S.M., Kealy, D. et al. Getting Them Through the Door: a Survey of Men’s Facilitators for Seeking Mental Health Treatment. Int J Ment Health Addiction 18, 1346–1351 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00147-5
- Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Beharry, J., & Oliffe, J. L. (2022). HeadsUpGuys: An E-Mental Health Resource for Men with Depression. Rhode Island medical journal (2013), 105(5), 23–28.
HeadsUpGuys
Our Vision
- We envision a world where men make mental health a priority, and suicide is no longer a top 5 cause of death for men of any age.
Our Mission
- To support men to improve their mental health, reduce their risk of suicide, and inspire them to live healthier lives.
Our Mandate
- To improve mental health literacy among men, reduce stigma, arm men (and their friends, families, and communities) with strategies for effective self-management, and support their uptake of mental health services.
Our Values
- HeadsUpGuys supports men’s mental health in a positive, inclusive, and mutually supportive way with and for people of all backgrounds, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation.
- HeadsUpGuys does not support discrimination of any form, is not involved in Men’s Rights Activism, and does not support misogyny.
Learn more about:
Our Program
HeadsUpGuys is a program of The University of British Columbia (UBC), operating under the leadership of Dr. John Ogrodniczuk, who is a Professor of Psychiatry and the Director of the Psychotherapy Program at UBC.
Our team of clinicians, researchers, and mental health advocates bring together their expertise and personal experiences to provide you with this unique resource.
HeadsUpGuys is located at UBC’s Vancouver Campus, on the traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. HeadsUpGuys is a global resource, with over 4,500,000 visits from countries around the world.
HeadsUpGuys website resource was launched in 2015.
Operational costs of HeadsUpGuys are funded exclusively through the generosity of private donations.
Our Team
Dr. John Ogrodniczuk,
Dr. John Ogrodniczuk,
Founder of HeadsUpGuys
Dr. Ogrodniczuk is a Professor of Psychiatry at UBC and Director of the UBC Psychotherapy Program. In his role as Director, he oversees the operations of North America’s 2nd largest medically based psychotherapy training program. His research has been supported by various provincial and national funding bodies, and has led to more than 250 scientific publications.
In addition to his research, he is involved with teaching medical students and psychiatry residents, serves in various capacities with a number of scientific and clinical journals, and consults with mental health clinics about service provision and evaluation.
Dr. Ogrodniczuk is available for consultation to help men develop strategies for healthy living and recovery through his life consulting practice, Optimum Consulting.
Joshua R Beharry, Project Manager
Joshua R Beharry, Project Manager
Since recovering from experiences with depression in 2010, Josh has become a passionate advocate for mental health. Josh coordinates HeadsUpGuys communications and website. For more information about his recovery see his post “I never wanted to die, I only wanted to end my pain.”
Joel Robison, Social Media Coordinator and Graphic Designer
Joel Robison, Social Media Coordinator and Graphic Designer
Joel Robison is a Canadian photographer and mental health advocate. He has worked with international brands as well as non-profit organizations, creating work that is both thoughtful and imaginative. His close personal connections to men’s mental health and suicide have motivated him to take on a more active role in ending the stigma around the conversation about mental health.
Audrey Fox,
Toolkit Coordinator
Audrey Fox,
Toolkit Coordinator
Audrey is both passionate about mental health literacy and fascinated by the human brain. She strives to help men who are struggling to make sense of their emotions and live happier lives through outreach and education.
Akanksha Somani,
Outreach Coordinator
Akanksha Somani,
Outreach Coordinator
Akanksha integrates her undergraduate research background in Psychology from UBC and Cambridge University with her hands-on experience as a crisis responder and behavior interventionist, embarking on a career devoted to bridging the gap between academia and practical mental health support. Motivated by her own challenges with ADHD and anxiety, she endeavours to utilize her passion and insight to break down barriers to mental well-being.
Ed Smith,
Self-Check Suite Coordinator
Ed Smith,
Self-Check Suite Coordinator
Ed has a background in social science, languages, and literature, and has worked for several non-profits and community groups in Australia. He completed his master’s thesis on the framing of depression in contemporary media, and is keenly interested in finding ways to break down barriers of communication encountered by those who struggle to convey how they are feeling.
Brad Newell, Awareness Champion, Donor Engagement and Marketing
Brad Newell, Awareness Champion, Donor Engagement and Marketing
Brad is a passionate and long time supporter of HeadsUpGuys. Both his and his family’s support have been instrumental in keeping HeadsUpGuys going. Brad is the owner of King of Floors and King’s Links, By The Sea Golf Course.
Joe Rachert, Volunteer, Marketing and Communications
Joe Rachert, Volunteer, Marketing and Communications
Joe has been working in men’s health for the past decade, 9 years of which was spent as the Program Manager for the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation. What started as a two-week gig to produce an event, evolved into a career and passion for shifting how men think about their health. This shift in thinking is just beginning and it will take weeks, months, years, and possibly a generation or two before that shift is complete.
Joe remembers HeadsUpGuys launching 6 years ago and thinking this is specifically what men’s health needs in the stigma space to tackle depression and suicide. Joe will be focusing his volunteer efforts to foster funding opportunities for HUG’s by connecting the “men’s health dots” across Canada so we can all keep shifting that thinking
Darius Eghdami, Sponsorship Advisor
Darius Eghdami, Sponsorship Advisor
Darius is a long time supporter of HeadsUpGuys, since we first connected at a Vancouver 100 Men Who Give a Damn event in 2018. Most recently, Darius and Raymond spearheaded the Sip Around the World Fundraiser raising $141,500 for HeadsUpGuys.
Raymond Dich, Sponsorship Advisor
Raymond Dich, Sponsorship Advisor
Raymond is a passionate advocate for men’s mental health. Most recently, Raymond and Darius spearheaded the Sip Around the World Fundraiser raising $141,500 for HeadsUpGuys.
chadelia, Volunteer, Brews and Dudes Ambassador
chadelia, Volunteer, Brews and Dudes Ambassador
Chadelia is The Brews and Dudes Ambassador for HeadsUpGuys and is passionate about men’s emotional and mental health. He is also the co-organizer of the annual HeadsUpGuys Trivia Night, a fun event to bring communities together in support of HeadsUpGuys and men’s mental health.
Our Contributors
A special thanks to the following individuals for their contributions to the development of HeadsUpGuys.
Dr. John Oliffe
Colin Stasuik
Quinn Storey
Chloe Sernasie
Caroline Sutton
Aiden Simard
Mark Goodwin
Dr. George Hadjipavlou
DR. JOY JOHNSON
DR. JOAN BOTTORFF
Proudly Supported By
- King of Floors
- The Newell Family