Our work on men’s mental health

This content mentions suicide or suicidal thoughts. Please read with care. There are details of where to find help at the bottom of this page.

When we consider men’s mental health, it’s hard to look beyond the fact that suicide is a leading cause of death for men up to the age of forty. We want to share with you the work we do at the Mental Health Foundation to tackle men's mental health.

How do we address men’s needs?

Any approach to mental health that’s going to work must be adapted to the audience – one size doesn’t fit all, whether it’s mental health services, campaigning messages or community resources. We’ve been working for over 70 years now to understand what works in mental health and apply research evidence in practice.

The population with the highest frequency of deaths by suicide is middle-aged men. If we want to stop men from dying by suicide – and we must – we need to look at what factors affect men’s mental health and how we can help more men to find help and support. When they do, they must be able to get any benefit from mental health services that meet their needs. Too often, that isn’t the case. We know that men are less likely to ask for help.

Explore our programmes of work supporting men's mental health, plus information, advice, blogs and stories from men sharing their experiences of mental health.

Two men sat outside laughing together

Our programmes

Find out more about our programmes that address men's mental health.

Becoming a Man (BAM)

BAM is a mental well-being intervention programme that aims to support young men’s personal development by taking into account their lived experience and the often difficult environments they must navigate. BAM works with young men in schools to help them reach their full potential, make effective decisions in their lives, and instil the values and skills necessary to succeed and contribute to society.

Comhar men’s groups

We deliver self-management courses for Irishmen in mid-life to help give participants a greater sense of choice and control in their lives. It is based on the fact that everyone will already have strategies for managing their mental health, whether or not they know it.

Dads and Football project

Dads and Football, a two-year project, was created to support new dads in response to the inadequate provision that is currently available. Dads and players from Cardiff City joined the groups to discuss how the life change had affected them. 91 dads were also asked about their views, through an online survey.

Parc Prison Peer-led Self-Management Project

This self-management programme ran courses on mental health for male inmates of the UK prison environment for the first time at HM Prison Parc, Bridgend, South Wales.

Supporting farming communities at times of uncertainty

We created a guide with Public Health Wales, which aims to support farming communities at times of uncertainty by providing an action framework to support the mental health and well-being of farmers and their families.

Explore men's mental health

A-Z topic: Men and mental health

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

Becoming Dad: A guide for new fathers

In this guide, we focus on helping you make sense of what it can be like to be a Dad, to look after yourself and the others around you, and do the best possible job of becoming a confident father.

Men and women: statistics

Mental health problems affect both men and women, but not in equal measure. In England in 2014, one in six adults had a common mental health problem: about one in five women and one in eight men.

Podcast: Four men talk about mental health

In this episode, we're joined by comedian Dave Chawner, entrepreneur George Kiley, and actor and writer Ben Norris to talk men's mental health. Topics include routine, exercise, mindfulness and support.

Blogs and articles

Explore our blogs and articles focused on men and their mental health.

How to pick yourself up when things get tough - 15 tips for men

We asked men on Instagram, ‘what do you do to look after your mental health when things get tough?' and gathered 15 top tips.

Read the top tips

Boys, men and mental health

Becoming a Man (BAM) Counsellor Hugh Mayers writes a blog speaking from his experiences working with young men in schools and explores how the landscape for men's mental health is changing.

Read the blog

A focus on the mental health of minority men

It’s important not to treat men as a monolithic group because we will have different experiences of the world based on – among other things - our ethnicity, national origin, sexuality and class.

Read the blog

Unmasking men and anger

Anger is a universal human emotion that can be seen in the facial expressions of infants as young as six months. Despite this, anger is frequently misunderstood. This blog explores the relationship between men, anger and mental health.

Read the blog

Stress: it's time to talk

The Foundation's Director of Scotland and Northern Ireland discusses the impact stress has on men and highlights how we must shift the culture so that men feel that it is safe and acceptable to seek help.

Read the blog

Father's Day: a focus on young fathers and mental health

Young fathers face significant and specific challenges which can affect their mental health. In this blog, we explore some of them and what we can do about them.

Read the blog

Stories

Explore stories written by our supporters that shine a light on men's mental health.

Photo of James
Story
James' story: my experience with anorexia and eating disorders
James' story: my experience with anorexia and eating disorders
Photo of Luke Tyberski, a supporter who wrote a story about mental health
Story
Luke's story: binge eating, depression and how my obsession with fitness wasn't necessarily a good thing
Luke's story: binge eating, depression and how my obsession with fitness wasn't necessarily a good thing
Photo of Taylor in a Mental Health Foundation tshirt
Story
Taylor's story: raising awareness after my brother died by suicide
Taylor's story: raising awareness after my brother died by suicide
Photo of Ben sitting with his friends
Story
Ben's story: losing my mother to suicide and taking on new challenges to raise awareness
Ben's story: losing my mother to suicide and taking on new challenges to raise awareness
Photo of Ntale
Story
Ntale's story: why kindness got me to where I am today
Ntale's story: why kindness got me to where I am today
Photo of Dean
Story
Dean's story: my mental health took a hit during the pandemic as my feelings of loneliness grew
Dean's story: my mental health took a hit during the pandemic as my feelings of loneliness grew
Photo of Paul
Story
Paul's story: my feelings about my body image are a 'work in progress'
Paul's story: my feelings about my body image are a 'work in progress'
Photo of Philip
Story
Philip's story: finding balance in life and in my friendships
Philip's story: finding balance in life and in my friendships
Mind Over Mirror - young person with acne
Story
H's story: how healthy relationships are important for my mental health
H's story: how healthy relationships are important for my mental health
Healthy relationships - boy graphic
Story
Fox's story: being disabled and the feeling of isolation, together with being queer and trans
Fox's story: being disabled and the feeling of isolation, together with being queer and trans

If you are feeling like ending your life or feel unable to keep yourself safe, please call 999 or go to A&E and ask for the contact of the nearest crisis resolution team. These are teams of mental health care professionals who work with people in severe distress. If you feel affected by the content you have read, please see our get help page for support.

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