Young Blood - Men’s Mental Health

After years trying to start a family, Mark and his wife Angela were deflated, and wondering if it was going to happen for them.When they finally conceived, it felt like everything was going right — until a routine scan revealed their unborn son Hudson, had a serious heart condition.Faced with the scary prognosis of future complications, they rejected the confronting option to terminate the pregnancy and pushed on.And before Hudson had even entered the world, his parents had to prepare for the reality of multiple open heart surgeries.Mark endured anxiety, fear and helplessness like never before, grappling with his total lack of control over the outcome.Now five years on, Hudson's a healthy, happy boy, but not totally out of the woods.Mark's sharing his story to help current and future dads living with pain and uncertainty.This is Mark Pearce...

Gambling, in one form or another, has been part of human societies for centuries. Those wanting a betting opportunity could find one if they looked hard enough, but it was a far cry from the gambling bombardment we’re exposed to in the Western world today.Australians lose more than $30 billion a year to gambling, and new figures show New South Wales residents lost $2.5 billion on the pokies alone in just three months in 2025.The barrage of odds, ads and the growing prevalence of gambling influencers can feel inescapable, drawing millions of young men into a dangerous game with virtually no winners.Dr Michael Zhang is a psychologist specialising in behavioural addictions. His work led to the creation of Incumental, a new app designed to support recovery from gambling problems. He says it’s not about willpower, it’s about learning new ways to respond, building new habits, and finding people who understand.This is Dr Michael Zhang…------------https://incumental.com/

Sydni grew up on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu, in a tight-knit community with a culture she says expects men to be tough and keep their emotions to themselves.Her father was one of those men. Loving and strong, but never one to share what he was going through.When her younger sister went missing in late 2023, Sydni and her family were thrust into the national spotlight overnight, facing huge stress and the brutal commentary of countless strangers online.Sydni’s dad flew to Los Angeles to search, and tragically never returned home, the immense distress of the situation contributing to his suicide.It pushed Sydni into the darkest period of her life, grieving her father and questioning everything while trying to protect her son.Now, a year on, she’s slowly rebuilding herself, launching her own mental health brand to create change and raising her son to be able to share his feelings.This is Sydni Kobayashi...

No guest this week. Instead, here's my rambling about life and the podcast in the following order:- Australian of the Year Awards- Getting married- Contemplating fatherhood- Getting in the best shape of my life- Showing up as the best version of me- The future of the podcast- Protecting piece of mind

Corporal James Overall served as an Australian Army medic for a decade, deploying overseas on multiple occasions, including to Afghanistan in 2015. He was instrumental in 6 mass casualty events, as a highly skilled trauma care provider and auxiliary security force member, awarded the United States Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (NAM) for his outstanding service. Frequently under immense pressure to perform in life or death situations, Jimmy didn't have the awareness to recognise the trauma he was internalising or the ability to process it.Suppressing his emotions and soldiering on seemed to work, until it all caught up with him, manifesting in symptoms that couldn't be ignored.No longer able to meet his own expectations as a serviceman, he discharged and became a paramedic.Then in 2021, Jimmy and his wife lost their baby boy Luke at birth, a tragedy that broke their hearts and left him numb.He reached a crossroads and made the choice to finally open up and lean on others for help, allowing him to grow into the husband and father he is today, a man worthy of his own respect.This is James Overall...

On the cusp for a decade, but never quite making the big time in professional surfing, Cooper's life was destined to go down another path.After seeing his sister lose multiple friends to suicide and facing his own challenges, he educated himself on mental health and founded The Good Human Factory to connect people with simple tools to improve their wellbeing.It took off, and has since grown into countless nationwide workshops for schools and business, the popular podcast Good Humans, and an online community called The 1% Good Club that inspired Cooper’s recently published debut book.This is Cooper Chapman...----The Good Human Factory:https://linktr.ee/thegoodhumanfactory?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=5febb3b5-9180-4ce9-a87e-c6094927d642

Masculinity is one of the hottest debates in our culture right now. Boys are growing up in a world that never switches off, where social media, peer pressure and online figures shape how they see themselves and each other.Daniel is right in the thick of it. He spends his days in schools across Australia, speaking to tens of thousands of young men about identity, relationships and mental health. His work is about giving boys the space to be honest and the encouragement to be themselves, instead of hiding behind the masks they feel pressured to wear.This conversation is not just about teenagers. Similar struggles with pressure, insecurity and false ideas of masculinity follow men well into adulthood. Daniel is challenging a generation to redefine what it means for a man to be tough and strong in our modern world.This is Daniel Principe...

There’s positive signs male suicide is finally trending down.For the first time since the Suicide Prevention Australia Community Tracker began quarterly reporting on suicide related behaviour in 2022, the stats have swung in the right direction...Suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts have all reduced.According to the latest national report for September:Serious thoughts of suicide: 19% → 13%Making a suicide plan: 6% → 3%Attempting suicide: 2% → 1%Overall suicidal behaviour: 27% → 17%Help-seeking is up...Almost a third of all Australians reached out to a support provider in the past 12 months, an increase of 10 percentage points since this time last year.Barriers remain:31% of men in high distress didn’t seek support because they thought it wasn’t serious enough (vs 25% of women)28% of men tried to manage it on their own (vs 37% of women)4% of men said they didn’t know what support was available (vs 13% of women)We’re taking action to look after ourselves.Seven out of ten Aussies report taking at least one action in the past year to support their health and wellbeing.40% worked out and ate better36% reached out to a friend28% practiced mindfulness When will suicide deaths start to drop?The decline in suicidality is yet to translate into a reduction of overall deaths. The latest available National ABS Provisional Mortality Statistics show there were 3,214 suicides in Australia in 2023 - 75% were male.Updated statistics for 2024 are expected this October.Whether overall suicide deaths are going down yet or not, these latest figures show progress worth being optimistic about. You can find the full report here: https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/community-tracker

When JK was studying radiation therapy, he never imagined he’d one day become a cancer patient himself. At 33, he was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, one of the most aggressive blood cancers, after a lump suddenly appeared on his neck.He went through months of gruelling chemo while raising two young kids, relying on his wife Pam and their support network to hold the family together. From his hospital bed, JK launched How Bloody Good, a campaign urging people to donate blood that he calls the "red liquid gold".Blood cancers are the second most prevalent form of cancer in Australia, and with September being Blood Cancer Awareness Month, it’s the perfect time to talk about it. This is Jaraad Kader...------------September marks Blood Cancer Month, the most significant month of the year for the Leukaemia Foundation and Australian blood cancer community in terms of raising awareness and educating people on the impacts, what it is, the signs and symptoms, and who to turn to for support if you or a loved one are diagnosed. The theme for this year’s Blood Cancer Month is ‘Care Belongs Where You Do’ – which is at the heart of the Leukaemia Foundation’s ethos in that blood cancer care should meet people where they are. Reaching beyond hospitals and treatment, into our homes, communities and cultures. Care that’s personal, human, and built around life - not the other way around.Blood cancer is on the rise. Latest data shows a shocking one in twelve Australians (or 8% of the population) are at risk of being diagnosed with blood cancer in their lifetime. It’s also the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in the country. Sadly you only need to mention the words leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma and most people know someone impacted.As the Leukaemia Foundation marks its 50th anniversary this Blood Cancer Month, we continue to bring care to where it belongs to those Australians impacted by blood cancer. To help us in our plight, visit donate.leukaemia.org.au

40% of Australians feel lonely at any given time and loneliness is linked to higher risks of depression, cognitive decline, a weakened immune system, and even premature death.If you’ve ever felt lonely, this episode will help you make sense of it. We break down what loneliness really is and practical ways to address it. My guest, Nigel Polak, President of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, talks through the differences between counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists, how they compare, and how to choose the right fit for you. We also cover things to be wary when looking into online coaching.This is Nigel Polak...

A Stanford study recently found AI chatbots only responded safely to 50% of serious prompts, such as those related to suicidal ideation and psychosis.About 1 in 5 replies were harmful, validating dangerous thoughts. (Stanford, 2024 via NY Post)How many of us are using it?A nationally representative sample survey of U.S adults found 60% have used AI for emotional support.Nearly 50% believe it can be beneficial. (Zhou et al., 2024 & Benda et al., 2024 — JMIR Mental Health) A 2024 Australian study found: • 28% of people have used tools like ChatGPT for mental health support. • 47% described it as ‘like a personal therapist’. (Orygen & JMIR Mental Health, 2024)What’s the appeal? ✅AI is available 24/7 ✅Doesn’t judge ✅Never interrupts ✅Feels private ✅No waitlists ✅Little or no cost It feels like support. But...AI tells you what you want to hear.Chatbots reflect your views, because we like it when we’re agreed with.The more they validate you > the more you trust them > the more you use the program.(Zhou et al., 2024 – JMIR Mental Health)OpenAI admitted a recent update made ChatGPT:More sycophanticMore agreeableMore likely to fuel anger & impulsivityThere’s potential — but protection must be a priority.AI tools can help:Fill service gapsSupport underserved communitiesOffer scalable, low-cost supportReach people who might not seek help otherwiseBut without... ⚠️ Clinical safeguards ⚠️ Human oversight ⚠️ Crisis protocols ⚠️ Ethical boundaries…it can do more harm than good.OpenAI’s CEO has stated confidentiality is a significant concern."Right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there's legal privilege for it. There's doctor-patient confidentiality, there's legal confidentiality, whatever. And we haven't figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.” - Sam Altman

Justin grew up idolising his father’s version of strength - gritting his teeth, pushing through pain to provide for his family, never speaking about his troubles.He picked up the same pattern, often putting others first and ignoring what was going on inside. At school, he was bullied and insecure, desperate to be liked and terrified of being left out. He learned to use his sharp wit as a way to fight back - and over time, it even turned him into a bully himself.The fear of missing out followed him into adulthood, fuelling years of partying, people-pleasing and doing whatever it took to stay in the mix. But as the highs evaporated and he watched some of his friends lose themselves to drugs, he realised something had to give. That's when he met his now wife and became a father. These days he's working full time, doing stand-up comedy on the side and volunteering as a director of mental health charity The Next Step Australia — upskilling communities and helping men find a way forward.This is Justin Sorre...

40% of men lose touch with close friends after major life changes.Moving, having kids, starting a new job. We don’t fall out, we just stop showing up.(UK Men’s Health Forum, 2022)Why does it happen?Priorities changeWe stop making timeWe wait for them to make it happenWe don’t want to make it awkwardWe assume our mates will just always be there — until they’re notThe truth is, friendships don’t survive on memories — they survive on effort. This week’s challenge is...Reconnect with a friend.Send a messageMake a callCatch up