26 May 2026
by Tina Koenig
Penumbra Mental Health’s self-harm support service, Self-Harm Network Scotland, is hoping that its new podcast series will get more men talking about self-harm - Tina Koenig tells us more
Self-Harm Network Scotland currently supports around five times more women than men through its one-to-one support service. Yet, this does not necessarily reflect who is affected by self-harm.
Stigma, under-recognition, and limited public understanding around the many ways self-harm can present can all influence whether people identify their experiences or seek support.
Over five episodes, guests will explain what self-harm is, how it impacts men, and look at the differences and similarities experienced by men and other genders. It will also consider the barriers that men can experience, and provide helpful advice for people who self-harm, and people who know someone that does.
We hope that these five conversations will help to deepen public understanding by raising awareness about self-harm and help encourage more men to seek support.
We also hope that the series will reach people who may not yet recognise their behaviours as self-harm and reassure them that support is available.
In Conversation is hosted by Frankee Fouin, practice development lead at Self-Harm Network Scotland. Her guests are Chris Stone and Dylan Currie, both peer practitioners at Self-Harm Network Scotland, who use their lived experience of self-harm daily to provide compassionate support to people who self-harm.
They are joined by Professor Amy Chandler, a sociologist from The University of Edinburgh, who has been researching self-harm for over 20 years.
Podcast host Frankee introduces the podcast in this short video:
New podcast launched to encourage more men to talk about self-harm - TFN
Dylan Currie said: “Our hope is that this podcast helps people recognise self-harm, especially the forms that often go unnoticed, and encourages more people to seek support.
"From my own experience, I know how difficult it can be to seek support, for a lot of the reasons we talk about in the podcast. If this helps even a few people feel less isolated, and feel more able to reach out, then that’s really significant.”
Professor Amy Chandler said: "A lot of research has focused on women who self-harm, which has reinforced the idea for some people that it is only or mainly women who are affected by self-harm. This is not true: self-harm comes in many forms, and is something that men, gender diverse people and women do.
“It was brilliant to spend time with Dylan, Chris, and Frankee talking through some of the complex issues that come up when we focus on men and self-harm. Gender - whether you are a man, woman or identify outside the binary - can absolutely affect how and why people self-harm and, importantly, how other people might respond.”
Amy added: “I hope that this podcast series gives people lots to think about, and that it might help people to question the types of assumptions they make about self-harm, what it means, and who might do it."
Find out more about the podcast and watch episode one and episode two on Self-Harm Network Scotland’s website: selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk/inconversation/
You can also listen wherever you get your podcasts.
If you, or anyone you know are looking for support for self-harm, visit our website: selfharmnetworkscotland.org.uk
Self-Harm Network Scotland provides 1:1 support to anyone aged 12+ in Scotland. We also have an anonymous Live Chat service available on our website every evening (6pm – 10pm).
Additionally, our team supports loved ones of people who self-harm, and professionals who work with someone who self-harms.
Tina Koenig is communications lead at Self-Harm Network Scotland.
New podcast launched to encourage more men to talk about self-harm - TFN
The above information is from a Third Force News (TFN) Weekly Opinion Posts roundup Newsletter Fri 29/05/2026