Shortland Street Highlights Mental Health Issues

For immediate release

Shortland Street Highlights Mental Health Issues 

Thursday night’s episode of Shortland Street highlighted all that Movember (and the Movember Foundation) stands for when characters Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) and TK (Benjamin Mitchell) stepped in and take a hands on ‘intervention’ style approach to helping Scotty (Kiel McNaughton) to confront his mental illness and seek help.

Towards the end of the show Scotty opens up to Tracey Morrison (Sarah Thomson) and begins to reveal his true feelings, busting the myth that real men don’t cry.

Since 2009 the Movember foundation has been supporting not only the fight against cancer but also promoting and helping to treat men’s mental health issues.

One of the organizers of this Saturday’s Great Auckland Mo-Hunt can relate, “ This episode of Shortland Street stretches far beyond just mental illness and reaches out to all men how are struggling along with physical illness as well. All too often men are confronted with the image, to be a real man you have to harden up. Our rugby head culture doesn’t help, It’s fine to go and have a game of football, box, surf, rock climb whatever, but to say that you have to be a hard-ass when it comes to serious issues such as your health is just ludicrous.”

When asked about the connection between men’s health and the Mo-Hunt they are organizing on Saturday, Aaron commented, “This is just a fun way to get people out in the city, having fun for a great cause [the Movember Foundation]. This is not just for the Mo-Bros but for everyone, wives, partners, hairless people it doesn’t matter, we just need to support and encourage men to sort their health issues, so it doesn’t have to get to the intervention stage like on Shorty”.

Mr McConchie’s initial reason for joining the Movember cause 5 years ago was due to his grandfather dying of prostate cancer, which by the time of his death had spread throughout his body, including spine and brain.

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