Leo Sher, M.D.

Mental Health America declared June Men’s Health Month (1). The Mental Health America website states that “Mental Health America (MHA) – founded in 1909 – is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. Our work is driven by our commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for those who need it; with recovery as the goal” (2).

Men’s Mental Health is an important medical and social issue. In 2013, I proposed to the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) leadership to create the WFSBP Task Force on Men’s Mental Health. My proposal to create this Task Force was supported by the WFSBP leadership, especially by Professor Constantin Soldatos, then the President of the WFSBP. The Task Force was created in Fall 2013.

Currently, the WFSBP Task Force on Men’s Mental Health consists of 33 scholars from many countries in North and South America, Europe, and Asia:

Officers:

Chair:

Leo Sher (USA)

Co-Chairs:

Timothy R. Rice (USA)

Zoltan Rihmer (Hungary)

Members:

Mikkel Arendt (Denmark)

Maria Dolores Braquehais (Spain)

Javier Didia-Attas (Argentina)

Trine Flensborg-Madsen (Denmark)

Masahito Fushimi (Japan)

Julia Golier (USA)

Xenia Gonda (Hungary)

Jussi Jokinen (Sweden)

Styliani Kaliora (Greece)

Shigenobu Kanba (Japan)

Jose de Leon (USA)

Shih-Ku Lin (Taiwan)

John Mann (USA)

Mushtaq Margoob (India)

Joav Merrick (Israel)

Narseta Mickuviene (Lithuania)

Anne-Maria Möller-Leimkühler (Germany)

Alexander Neumeister (USA)

Maria A. Oquendo (USA)

Jorge Ospina-Duque (Colombia)

Maria Dolores Picouto (Spain)

Carlos Roncero (Spain)

Wolfgang Rutz (Sweden)

Serge Sevy (USA)

Lesha Shah (USA)

Rishi Sood (USA)

Robert G. Stern (USA)

Nestor Szerman (Spain)

Pilar Trelles (USA)

Andreas Walther (Germany)

The WFSBP Task Force on Men’s Mental Health is expected

– To publish papers on male mental health issues

– To promote research on male mental health issues through raising awareness amongst clinicians and researchers about this area

– To provide a report to the WFSBP executive committee every 2 years on the activities of the group

References

1. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/infographic-mental-health-men
2. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/who-we-are