Volunteers receive modest compensation for their work, which can include cooking, serving, cleaning, facilitating activities, and planning meetings. On average, the club hosts 50 to 60 men with a core of volunteers who direct the activities and vision of the project. The DUDES Club meetings are held every 2 weeks in a drop-in space at the Vancouver Native Health Society, where men feel safe and other successful peer-support programs operate. Regardless of their current mental or physical state, members are welcome as long as they remain respectful and follow the code of conduct. Men have referred to meetings as a “sanctuary” to get away from the harsh realities of life in the DTES. The motto “Leave your armour at the door” provides an important foundation, as meetings are a safe place for men to shed their defences, be vulnerable, and open up to one another. In fact, the DUDES Club is accepting of the full spectrum of the men’s community in the DTES (gay, transgender, 2-spirited, etc). The DUDES Club is committed to carrying out its stated objectives in an inclusive, nonjudgmental, and holistic way. 25 As the DUDES Club slowly evolved, grassroots members developed 3 overarching objectives: to build solidarity and brotherhood between members to promote men’s health through education, dialogue, and health screening clinics and to enable men to regain a sense of pride and fulfilment in their lives. This community is among one of the most adversely affected by the social determinants of health in Canada. The DUDES Club was established in 2010 by men living in the DTES community who believed there was a critical gap in men’s health services. ![]() 24 This article reports on the findings of a rigorous evaluation of the DUDES Club, a health promotion program designed to address the health needs of men, most of whom are indigenous, living in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) community of Vancouver, BC. 20– 23 Furthermore, research indicates the importance of men’s-only spaces for health engagement, as outlined in an accompanying commentary in this issue ( page 463). Research from Australia on Men’s Sheds, a nationwide community-based men’s health campaign, reveals there are many important factors to consider when implementing successful men’s health promotion programs. 12– 19ĭespite this, there is a paucity of research on Canadian indigenous men’s mental health and the factors affecting access to and effectiveness of available services and supports. ![]() ![]() Increasingly, it is recognized that persistent health and social disparities between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians must be understood within the context of Canada’s colonial history (eg, residential schooling and the Sixties Scoop) and ongoing inequitable social determinants of health (eg, poverty, homelessness, systemic stigma, and discrimination). 8– 11 As a result, men suffer in silence far too often. 4– 7 Further, men are generally less likely than women are to seek help with health issues and they face many barriers when accessing appropriate mental health services. 2, 3 When it comes to mental health in particular, indigenous men are at greater risk of depression and suicide and suffer a disproportionate burden of other mental health issues compared with the general population. Compared with the general population, indigenous * 1 peoples in Canada continue to experience considerably higher rates of mortality, morbidity, and preventable diseases.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |