We鈥檝e called for mental health services to better meet the specific needs of men and boys in our response to a Government call for evidence.

Although our 2025 Public Perceptions Survey showed that more men are likely to go for therapy now than they were 15 years ago - they鈥檙e still more likely than women to think there鈥檚 a stigma attached (47% of men, compared to 38% of women).

Not meeting needs of men and boys

In our submission to the Department of Health and Social Care鈥檚 consultation we've said that services are often 鈥榝eminised鈥� in design, which can contribute to low uptake by men. Men are also considerably underrepresented in the psychological professions, including counselling and psychotherapy, which furthers the impression that these services are not suited to the needs of men and boys.

We鈥檝e also highlighted how internalised gender biases, harmful stereotypes and a failure to address barriers and increased risks for some groups, are also preventing some men from reaching out for support.

We pointed to our R.A.I.S.E. campaign, standing for Risk-taking, Anger, Isolation, Substance abuse, and Exhaustion, in which we encouraged people to look for and identify the signs of depression in the men in their lives - and encourage them to seek help.

Factors affecting men's mental health

Our response also included evidence and factors that affect men鈥檚 mental health and wellbeing, including socioeconomic elements; gender norms, social pressures and masculinity; and life milestones.

Martin Bell, our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, said: 鈥淥ur evidence shows that men and boys experience mental distress differently and are exposed to different risk factors compared to women and girls.

鈥淓vidence shows men tend to engage only at crisis points, not during early, preventable phases of distress. If showing emotional vulnerability and asking for help were destigmatised, this could make accessing support more socially acceptable for men and prevent unnecessary suffering.

鈥淲hile it鈥檚 encouraging that more men are accessing support, we鈥檙e concerned that a larger proportion still feel unable to do so , and an increase in help-seeking may disguise a significant rise in mental distress among men and boys.

鈥淲e believe that having more men working in mental health professions, along with commissioning, designing, delivering and evaluating services in partnership with men and boys with lived experience of poor mental health 鈥� would help normalise and encourage men to talk openly about their mental health. It鈥檚 vital that mental health services understand men and boys鈥� needs can be different.鈥�

Number of improvements to service needed

We鈥檝e called for the government to make a number of improvements to services to better meet the needs of men and boys. This includes incorporating physical activity-based support into services and carrying out local outreach through community organisations and charities which can better engage racialised men. Evidence shows that racialised men and boys often have their distress pathologised, leading to worse health outcomes, including disproportionate rates of detention under the Mental Health Act.

We鈥檝e also highlighted the need for tailored suicide prevention strategy that consider masculine norms, and to develop targeted provision for racialised men and boys. We鈥檝e said the third sector services who often deliver this work need longer-term and more sustainable funding.

Our key recommendations

Our key recommendations for the strategy are:

  • Encourage greater male representation in mental health professions, including counselling and psychotherapy
  • Commission, design, deliver and evaluate services in partnership with men and boys with lived experience of poor mental health
  • Explore and tackle implicit biases that may prevent men from being referred to the right support
  • Support initiatives which build community through a common activity or interest while creating a comfortable space to discuss concerns
  • Use a public health approach to tackle drivers of physical ill-health which, in turn, increase the risk of mental illness
  • Implement a cross-department approach to tackle intersecting challenges such as unemployment, homelessness, and substance misuse, all of which contribute to worsening mental health
  • Address regional inequalities (the 鈥減ostcode lottery鈥� for mental health support) and invest further in services in underserved areas, such as rural and coastal communities
  • Support regeneration programmes in economically-deprived regions, recognising the link between deprivation and poor physical and mental health outcomes

Read our full consultation response to the Men鈥檚 Health Strategy. (275KB)