Men’s mental health and wellbeing

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In England, around one in eight men has a common mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Society’s expectations and traditional gender roles play a role in why men are less likely to discuss or seek help for their mental health problems. We know that gender stereotypes about women – the idea they should behave or look a certain way, for example – can be damaging to them. But it’s important to understand that men can be damaged by stereotypes and expectations too

General guidance about Men's Mental Health and Wellbeing

Research by the Men’s Mental Health Forum shows that male emotional and psychological distress may not be easy to diagnosis. Men are also more likely to lack some of the known attributes which encourage and support good mental health, such as a positive engagement with education or the emotional support of friends and family.

Men may;

  •  fail to recognise or act on warning signs, and may be unable or unwilling to seek help from support services.
  •  rely on unwise, unsustainable self-management strategies that are damaging not only to themselves but also to those around them.

On average, 191,000 men a year report stress, depression or anxiety caused or made worse by work. (Source: HSE/Labour Force Survey).

A survey conducted by YouGov for the Mental Health Foundation (2019) found that:

  • 28% of men had not sought medical help for the last mental health problem they experienced compared to 19% of women.
  • A third of women (33%) who disclosed a mental health problem to a friend or loved one did so within a month, compared to only a quarter of men (25%).
  • Over a third of men (35%) waited more than 2 years or have never disclosed a mental health problem to a friend or family member, compared to a quarter of women (25%).

It’s tough for men to ask for help but if you don’t ask when you need it, things generally only get worse. There are some specific resources and support services for men outlined below.

Further links and resources for Men's Mental Health and Wellbeing

Men’s Mental Health Podcast – West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

We Work Together Podcast Advert

The West Yorkshire staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub works with men year-round, trying to tackle some of the barriers that men face seeking help when their mental health is compromised. In this episode, our partners discuss these barriers and their own experiences as men working in the health and care sector.

We Work Together is a podcast about people working in partnership to improve health and care across West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

In this specific episode of We Work Together, Mark Ambrose was joined by Paul Croston, a Post-vention Practitioner at the West Yorkshire Bereaved By Suicide Service and Johnny Richardson-Glenn, Chief Officer of Healthy Minds, a mental health charity based in Calderdale to talk about male mental health on this year’s International Men’s Day.

Andys Man’s Club

ANDYSMANCLUB is a Men’s Mental Health Charity – Offering free-to-attend talking groups for men and challenging the stigmas around Male Mental Health.  They provide a confidential place for men to get together to talk about their problems and share support and advice.

Bradford Group Facebook

Link to Andy’s Man’s Club website.

The Samaritans

The charity is urging men to seek help and reach out when they are struggling to cope by contacting Samaritans 24/7 on freephone 116 123, text 087 260 9090 or email jo@samaritans.ie.

https://www.samaritans.org