Half of men have struggled mentally through lockdown

Almost half of all men in the UK have struggled with their mental health during the pandemic.

That's according to research published by the campaign group Time to Change to mark International Men's Day.

Of the 1,500 men surveyed, 45 percent said they have struggled mentally over the last six months, while 44 percent said a lack of face-to-face contact with friends and family caused by the pandemic means they feel like they have no one to talk to.

The campaign group have labelled it a "perfect storm".

Meanwhile, more than half, (53 percent) say they don’t feel comfortable talking about mental health on virtual calls.

With lockdown restrictions set to continue for weeks ahead, Time to Change is urging people to check in and ‘Ask Twice’ if they suspect a friend, family member, or colleague might be struggling with their mental health.

Ryan Francis from Bristol has struggled himself and says his life was probably saved when his GP asked how he was feeling.

"Throughout this period I was always taking my daughter into the doctors," he told us.

"If she had a rash, in my head it was always something really, really bad...I was always panicking about what was going wrong and one day the doctor stopped me and said your daughter is perfectly fine but I'm really worried about you.

"He said, look I'm really worried about you. You're coming across as quite anxious, quite irrational. Do you want to have a proper conversation with me?"

Ryan told us he said yes, went back in the next day and it was the first time he had ever opened up to anyone.

"The next day I opened up to the doctor, told him what I was going through and from there I was able to get some help."

Now, he's urging others to take that same first step and ask for help when they need it.

"It's really important to me that we do talk about it because actually it isn't anything to be embarrassed about and it isn't anything to be ashamed of, and the more we help and support each other the better.."

Amelia Orchard-Smith from the charity Suicide Prevention Bristol says demand for their services has rocketed over the last few months.

"We've seen a huge increase in people phoning up, which in one way is really good that people know they can phone, but yeah unfortunately we have had quite an increase," she said.

"We've also had an increase in calls out in Bristol."

For tips and advice on how to start a discussion about mental health with a friend, visit: time-to-change.org.uk/asktwice.

If you have been impacted by this story, you can call the Samaritans at any time on 116 123, or Suicide Prevention Bristol on 0800 689 5652.

• bristol
• Time To Change
• mental health
• suicide prevention bristol