Dr Kieran Kennedy // Men's health, mental health and life in medicine
You might know that this week is Men’s Health Week and while, of course everyone’s health is equally important, I really support the particular focus this week on the unique challenges faced by men in both their physical and mental health. As you’ll hear, men’s health outcomes often fall far behind those of women and they still face a lot of stigma around the perceived “weakness” of seeking help, so I think this is a wonderful way to remind men they’re not alone and to help women too understand how we can help change the dialogue for our partners, brothers, sons and friends.
Men’s mental health statistics in particular always come as a shock to me and if you haven’t listened to our chats with Osher Günsberg and Jake Edwards, they share some honest and personal insights on their mental health journey that are well worth a listen. For this episode, I thought we’d get a medical expert’s perspective and who better to join us than medical doctor, psychiatry resident and mental health advocate, Dr Kieran Kennedy.
You might have seen Dr Kieran on the latest cover of Men’s Health Magazine dedicated to the incredible efforts of healthcare workers through the COVID19 pandemic and that’s just one of the many challenges he generously opens up about in our chat. From humble, idyllic beginnings in rural New Zealand (you’ll hear ALL about the joys of what’s called Calf Club), Kieran is the embodiment of persistence and grit working his way through a Bachelor of Science into medical studies and is now six months off finishing his specialisation in Psychiatry AND fits his passion for fitness and a bodybuilding career in on the side.
He is self-deprecating in a way that belies his success and he gives us such powerful insights into men’s struggles with societal views on manliness, hardening up and even on how much more widespread men’s battles with body image is and valuing themselves on how they look. This conversation opened my eyes up to so much and I hope it does the same for you too.
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