A report by Mentoring Men, a free service connecting men with trained, local male mentors, demonstrates how one‑to‑one life mentoring drives tangible male mental health benefits.
New data from Mentoring Men outlines clear mentorship outcomes, aligned with government mental health priorities, including earlier help‑seeking, better resilience and crisis prevention.
Male mental health is in crisis, and government reviews recognise this. For instance, the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025–2035 found that one in five men report loneliness, and 72% with ill mental health don’t seek professional help.
This is why Mentoring Men is calling for immediate grant prioritisation to embed mentorship as a permanent pillar of Australia’s mental health system.
Mentorship’s tangible benefits
Mentoring Men has been gathering deep qualitative insights from its mentorship program for the last seven years, including mentor and mentee surveys and session feedback developed to monitor mentorships’ health and drive continuous program improvement. Proven results include:
- Mentoring engages men before clinical entry points, normalising conversations and guiding warm referrals to GPs, psychologists and helplines.
- Key outcomes are increased help-seeking and reduced stigma around it, stronger social connectedness and belonging, enhanced resilience, coping and confidence, and early intervention and crisis prevention.
- Men are supported to reframe challenges, set small goals and build accountability, leading to re-engagement in work and volunteering, and healthier relationships.
- 68% of participants have reported reduced loneliness, which Mentoring Men provided as evidence to the NSW Inquiry into Loneliness (2025).
- Preventative mental health support delivers measurable economic value, lowering downstream health, justice and productivity costs, with independent modelling of peer‑led programs showing a strong return on investment.
A call to the Australian Government
Mentoring Men is seeking $3 million per year for three years as secured annual recurring revenue (ARR). This will enable the organisation to:
- Expand its trained volunteer workforce nationwide, underpinned by professional support and supervision
- Establish a national network of community-based hubs and digital delivery for rural and remote access
- Achieve complete accreditation under the National Safety and Quality Mental Health Standards
- Strengthen impact measurement, ensuring accountability and proof of value for the government
“Every day we delay, more men fall through the cracks. Lives lost, families shattered, potential unrealised. For seven years, Mentoring Men has delivered this proven, preventative model with minimal resources, guided by the dedication of everyday Australians willing to stand alongside one another,” Mentoring Men CEO Filipe Gama e Silva said. “But goodwill alone cannot meet national demand. With secured government investment, Mentoring Men can scale responsibly, embedding mentoring as a permanent pillar of Australia’s mental health system, and deliver the outcomes every inquiry and strategy has called for.”
Meanwhile, in a letter of support for Mentoring Men, Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser MP backed the benefits of mentoring.
“Mentoring plays a critical role in supporting men’s mental health and wellbeing, offering a vital avenue for early intervention and connection. This report shows why many men would benefit from mentoring and community-based services like Mentoring Men and why it fills an important gap in the spectrum of services Australian men can fall back on. We need earlier, preventative support for men’s mental health,” Leeser said.
Read also: AIFS research highlights mental health risks for new fathers
Geraldine is currently the Content Producer for Third Sector, an Akolade channel. Throughout her career, she has written for various industries and international audiences. Her love for writing extends beyond the corporate world, as she also works as a volunteer writer at her local church. Aside from writing, she is also fond of joining fun runs and watching musicals.
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