14% of the UK’s men would not talk to anyone about their mental health

Millions of British men would not talk to anyone at all if they suffered from mental health issues.

New research by 24/7 Pest Control for Men’s Health Week has found that 14% of men in the UK would not talk to anybody about their mental health problems.

That equates to more than 3.6 million men who would avoid discussing a mental health issue, despite public health campaigns such as ITV’s Britain Get Talking, or Prince William’s Mentally Healthy Football Declaration, urging men to open up about illnesses such as depression.

When asked by YouGov whom they would speak with about their mental health, 47% of men revealed that they would confide in their significant other, while fewer than a third of men (31%) feel they would be able to speak to their close friends.

Concerning discussing their mental health with a medically trained professional, 30% of men say that they would reach out to their GP for help and advice, while 15% would talk to a therapist.

Only 7% of men say that they would discuss their mental health with an anonymous helpline, while 8% don’t know who they would talk to.

In the workplace, mental health issues are still seen as a “taboo” subject, with only 6% of men saying they would discuss their mental health with their boss, and 4% confirming that they would speak with other colleagues.

The study also reveals that more than half of the UK’s population feel that men’s mental health is not considered a serious topic of discussion.

The research – drawn from more than 5,000 adults surveyed – shows that 57% of Brits feel that the issue of men’s mental health is still not being taken seriously by modern society.