Research
Research
For the first time, the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement –in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University’s (GCU’s) four-year Sheds for Sustainable Development Project funded by the National Lottery Community Fund– has now built an extensive peer-reviewed evidence base, specific to Scotland, on the impact and benefits of Men’s Sheds:
Briefings:
PUBLICATION (2019)
Men’s Sheds: A conceptual exploration of the causal pathways for health and wellbeing
Health & Social Care in the Community
PUBLICATION (2021)
Men's Sheds in Scotland the potential for improving the health of men
Journal of Public Health Policy
PUBLICATION (2021)
Men’s Sheds as an alternative healthcare route? A qualitative study of the impact of Men’s Sheds on user’s health improvement behaviours
Bio-Medical Central (BMC) Public Health
Main/Key Findings:
Health and wellbeing
Participation in Shed activities was found to positively impact the health and wellbeing of Shed users including:
- Mental health: increasing their confidence and sense of purpose (especially after retirement), increasing happiness and decreasing depression and anxiety
- Social wellbeing: including decreasing social isolation and loneliness, and increasing members social networks and sense of belonging/ inclusion
- Physical health: increasing mobility in older and less mobile participants, improved ability to overcome physical illness, improved diet/ nutrition, decreased alcohol use
Participating in Shed activities was also found to lead to increased health seeking behaviours, improved perspectives on individual health and an improved ability to overcome illness and adversity.
Sustainability
The main sustainability challenges that Sheds face are:
- Sourcing skilled volunteers
- Premises acquisition
- Financial sustainability
- Health and safety
- Members with complex health issues
- Leadership/ governance
The older age and retirement status of members means that sourcing skilled and willing volunteers is challenging
Sheds prefer to remain informal and flexible in their nature to fit with their ‘ethos’, rather than formalising or expanding into service provision
The sustainability of Sheds is precarious without adequate support, in particular core grant funding and the need for Shed specific development workers who can assist Sheds with operational tasks to increase their sustainability
National Statistics
National statistics serve as a stark and unacceptable reminder of why preventative health models like Men’s Sheds should be a health priority.
- In Scotland, one man in four dies before the age of 65 (Men’s Health Forum Scotland)
- Life expectancy in Scotland (77 years for men) continues to be the lowest in the UK (Source: National Records of Scotland)
- In the most deprived areas of Scotland, men can expect to spend less time in good health – resulting in a gap in healthy life expectancy of around 23 years (Source: National Records of Scotland)
- Scotland has the highest suicide rate in the UK. Suicide rates for males in Scotland has increased significantly to 24.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2018 (a total of 581 deaths) (Source: Office for National Statistics)
- 4 in 5 suicides (78%) are by men (Source: Men’s Health Forum)
- In 2018, the suicide rate for males was three times that for females. The highest rate of suicide occurs in the 35–44 age group for males (Source: National Records of Scotland)
Participating in Shed activities was also found to lead to increased health seeking behaviours, improved perspectives on individual health and an improved ability to overcome illness and adversity.
Social Return on Investment (SROI)
The SROI report on Westhill & District Men’s Shed (the first Men’s Shed in Scotland) in 2015 identified that for every £1 that is spent on men’s sheds, there is a social return of about £9.
Going Forward/Future Plans
As GCU’s main partner, the SMSA is currently supporting their funding applications for the future to ensure the research in Scotland continues. Potential avenues to be explored are the physical health benefits of being in the Shed (monitored using wearable technology). The Association will strive to ensure this vital partnership, to produce a Scotland-specific evidence base on the benefits of Men’s Sheds, continues for many years to come.