Men's Sheds in Australia: Impact on Coping with Psychological Stress, Cardiovascular Function and Quality of life

The Men’s Shed movement in Australia has attracted a certain amount of interest internationally. This is partly because the sheds offer a safe place for men, often after retirement or especially retrenchment, to meet, exchange ideas and talk “shoulder to shoulder” as their motto proclaims. However, research on the health and well-being benefits of this social inclusion provided by Men’s Sheds is still on its infancy. The presentation will be grounded in the author’s recent study on the impact of Men’s Sheds on coping with psychological stress, cardiovascular function and quality of life in the men involved. Specifically, the biopsychosocial approach was used as a theoretical framework to examine this relationship. I discuss both the novel implications of the theoretical arguments advanced in this study as well as the results of this mixed methods research. This study has the potential to enhance awareness of introducing novel interventions that mitigate stress and/or increase social support and social interactions amongst men. This will alleviate the unprecedented burden of chronic diseases that currently exists in this population.