(Canadian Mental Health Association Central Alberta)

By Alessia Proietti

January 23-March 31

Look sharp and help a cause with a Mullet for Mental Health

Feb 3, 2023 | 3:34 PM

It may be business in the front and party in the back, but these mullets are doing much more than keeping Red Deerians looking sharp.

From January 23-March 31, the Mullets for Mental Health campaign by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Central Alberta is back for its second year, with the goal of initiating an honest conversation about men’s mental health.

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, while mental illness is comparable between men and women, men are found to feel less empowered to seek help for their mental health, leading four in every five deaths by suicide to be from males.

“I think it’s from years and years of the old ‘men don’t talk about their feelings, men don’t cry, suck it up’,” said Jody Wiancko, Community Engagement and Fund Development Coordinator for CMHA Central Alberta. “It seems to be that men don’t go and seek help until it’s an absolute crisis and by the time they get to the doctor’s, or wherever they need to go, people don’t take them seriously because there’s so much stigma against talking and being male and not dealing with their mental health problems.”

Inspired by a similar CMHA campaign in Fort McMurray, Wiancko says the idea for mullets came from barber experiences with their male customers sharing stories while they sat in the chair. Beginning as small chit-chat, she says barbers shared the conversations would gradually increase into deeper personal topics.

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“I was talking to a couple of tattoo artists as well and they said it’s amazing the stories you hear because you’re open,” she said. “You’re not looking directly in somebody’s eyes and just sitting for a couple of hours with a stranger.”

Wiancko confirmed that last year’s campaign in Red Deer brought in positive feedback from the community as well as $12, 413, pushing this year’s goal to $14,000.

With a $25 registration fee, participants can even join or schedule events across central Alberta for public mullet cuts to promote the initiative. Prizes will also be available for the most money raised and most creative mullets.

Wiancko says the funds will go towards their education piece “Mental health for All” and modifying their programming to reach a broader variety of ever-changing local needs. Some current programs focus on anxiety, journaling for mental wellness, mental health in the workplace for employers, and housing.

The CMHA also serves the Alberta Brain Injury Network, has a systems navigation service to help with filling challenging governmental paperwork and a crisis counsellor on staff who can help over the phone in times of need and redirect clients to appropriate resources in the city.

For Wiancko, it’s important to express what’s going on in a person’s life instead of sitting in silence.

“Once those conversations get started, it can change somebody’s life. They’ll feel more confrontable to say ‘hey, I’m not doing ok’ or reach out,” she said.

Donations can be made online at CanadaHelps.org.

(Canadian Mental Health Association Central Alberta)