26 August 2026
Men do talk about their mental health struggles - but they need the right opportunities to open up
This article is based on a webinar presented by MHI ambassador and Policy Lead Ben West and Joél Thika, co-founder of Run With Purpose (RWP), with RWP member Akeem Bundu-Kamara. They talk about suicide as one of the leading causes of death in men, how they can often feel uncomfortable accessing clinical support, and how we can help them.
The statistics around men’s mental health and suicide are sobering. It remains one of the biggest killers of men in the UK, US and Canada, where 75% of suicides are in men, with the highest rate among men aged 50 to 54.
One University of Manchester study examining the lives of 288 men aged 40 to 54 who died by suicide in 2017 found something that should reshape how we think about this: Over half had told someone they were struggling, many in the week before their death.
Of the men aged between 40-54 who text Shout, 38.5% mention suicide. This is slightly higher than the percentage of people overall who text Shout about suicide, which is 35%.
The University of Manchester study and our own data challenge the common assumption that men don't talk. It shifts the responsibility away from men who are struggling to reach out, and towards the systems and formats we're asking them to reach out through. The study also looked into the circumstances men were facing, revealing:
Life circumstances
- 57% were experiencing economic problems at the time of death
- 52% had physical health conditions
- 49% had problems with alcohol or drug misuse, or both
- 45% lived alone
- 30% were unemployed
Disclosure
- 53% had expressed suicidal intent to another person at some point (20% in the week before death, 8% on the day of death)
- 36% had spoken to a health professional
- 18% had spoken to a family member
- 17% had spoken to a partner
Services
- 67% had contact with a frontline service or agency within three months of death, 31% of whom were judged to be at low or no risk, and 9% at moderate or high risk
- 66% had a mental health diagnosis
- 44% had a history of self-harm
Men often struggle to open up in clinical settings, but there are other forms of support that are proven to work.
“Men aren’t difficult to reach, they’re different to reach”
Ben explained one of the best solutions; community-based support that isn't built around talking directly about emotions, providing men with the spaces and relationships to open up, often alongside other activities.
Run With Purpose is an example of this working well for men. Co-founded by Joél Thika when he was at university, over the years RWP has given members - including Joél - a space to talk through what they’re going through, whether it’s a break-up, unexpectedly losing a job, or becoming a new father.
Joél explained how just the act of moving, being present and noticing the things around you while out for a run can help with wellbeing and mood. But movement can also help a conversation flow. While many people don’t feel confident going to therapy, men who enjoy running may easily join a run club. Nobody is forced to talk about what they’re going through, but everyone there is more than willing to listen.
He shared how even if others can’t directly relate or offer advice, this doesn’t matter - people in the group feel better after opening up and being heard.
“We’re not professional counsellors, but we are professional listeners”
Akeem Bundu-Kamara had never seen a therapist and had never really considered that he needed a space to talk through life's difficult moments. Five years ago, he took up running and joined Run With Purpose, which he now describes as his third space: a community that helps each other through tough experiences. Going through the end of a relationship and difficulties at work, it was running, and a group of men genuinely willing to listen, that helped him through.
"I don't think I'd ever run further than 5k in my life, and all of a sudden I'm running the London marathon, then the Paris marathon. Being part of that group, where we can just talk to each other... the amount of coffees we've had after a run where someone's just had a redundancy, or just had a child, and we talk through how to navigate that.
"I've heard hundreds of stories, and I never realised how impactful it could be. That's why I'm still here, five years later."
If men ever feel they have nowhere to turn, or stigma around reaching out for support with their mental health means they’d rather speak to a stranger, the Shout service is always available for them.
Data from the service shows that a third of men who text the service are doing so because they’re struggling with suicidal thoughts. 47% who reach out to us say they prefer speaking to a stranger who doesn’t know them. Another aspect of our service that appeals to men is that it’s silent and discreet. Whether someone is in a busy room or completely alone, so long as they have phone coverage, they can text us.
Any man who is struggling to cope can text ‘Shout’ to 85258, any time of day or night.