In ‘Men’s Sheds,’ Mental Health Is the Project

November 8, 2023: For the past 40 years, older men in Australia have quietly gathered in work sheds to visit, keep busy with handiwork and, along the way, boost their mental health.

Dubbed “Men’s Sheds,” the communal spaces eventually spread to Canada and other parts of the world, offering men a place to connect as they transitioned into retirement.

Now, University of Alberta researchers have shown that the idea could be a practical way to provide more mental health services for men in rural areas.

Members of two such sheds in rural Alberta say the socialization and support they get lifts their spirits, according to a report published by the Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities (ACSRC) based at the U of A’s Augustana Campus.

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