Men's mental health over 10 years
Our report - Get it off your chest: Men’s mental health 10 years on - brings together research from 2009 and 2019. It explores how men’s mental health has changed over 10 years and the challenges facing men and their mental health today.
Key findings
Our findings show positive increases in men’s help-seeking behaviours and their ability to speak openly about their mental health. But there is still much more to be done to make sure that men are receiving the right support and feel able to reach out for help.
Men are now almost 3 times more likely to see a therapist if they're worried, compared to 2009.
2 in 5 men admit to regularly feeling worried or low, an increase since 2009.
The number of men experiencing suicidal thoughts has double since 2009.
"From childhood boys are told to keep quiet about emotions and that men don’t talk to each other… It became tiring and I became very withdrawn. I felt forced to conform."
- Mark, Mind in Harrow focus group participant
Our recommendations
The report recommends the UK government, NHS and employers better support men’s mental health. We asked for 3 key things:
- The NHS should co-produce mental health services with communities, including men, to make sure that effective support is available locally and meets men’s needs.
- NHS England has pledged that by 2023/24, 900,000 more people will have access to social prescribing. This is an opportunity for men to access alternatives to traditional clinical services, like exercise, walking groups, or gardening groups.
- Men should continue to be a key target audience for suicide prevention action. The government should set national and local targets for suicide reduction.
