It’s Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, and the statistics remain sobering. Suicide is the single leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK, with men (of all age groups) accounting for three-quarters of all suicides. Given that this cohort remain significantly less likely to seek help or engage with traditional mental health services, it’s of little surprise that the Government has now launched a call for evidence on men’s health.

The scale of the challenge

Men represent the majority of leadership positions across most sectors, yet many are struggling, trapped by outdated notions of what it means to be professional, successful, and masculine. 

In 2024 the Resolution Foundation stated that over 34% of young people aged 18-24 were experiencing depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder – a large increase since 2000 when 24% reported these problems. More than half a million 18 to 24-year-olds were prescribed anti-depressants in 2021-22.

For young men the issue runs deep, rooted in societal expectations that equate male worth with stoicism, self-reliance, and emotional restraint. These expectations don’t disappear at the office door – they intensify.

Traditional masculine roles are being challenged, gender dynamics are shifting, and many men feel uncertain about their place in this evolution. As highlighted in recent discussions about figures like Andrew Tate, when there is a “power vacuum” in male identity, nefarious characters slip into it, offering simplistic answers to complex questions of identity.

The workplace response gap

Most organisations offer generic mental health support – employee assistance programmes, wellbeing apps, and mindfulness sessions. These are valuable resources, but they often miss the mark for men. Research consistently shows that men engage differently with emotional wellbeing support. They tend to respond better to mental health support framed as professional development rather than therapy. They need peer support rather than top-down initiatives and spaces where they can explore what healthy masculinity looks like in today’s workplace. 

The challenge is compounded by well-meaning but misguided approaches. Simply telling men to “talk more about their feelings” without creating the right conditions for that conversation is ineffective. As one mental health professional observed, “It’s not about talking more. It’s about asking yourself: What am I talking about? When am I talking about it? Where am I going to talk about this? How am I going to talk about it?”

A quiet revolution: Lessons from men’s groups

Across the UK, a quiet revolution is taking place in men’s mental health support through peer-led groups that are showing remarkable success. They offer valuable blueprints for workplace initiatives:

• Andy’s Man Club operates free support groups nationwide.
• Talk Club helps to build resilience.
• Men’s Circle and MenSpeak offer both in-person and online sessions.
• ManHealth provides weekly peer support in the North East.
• MensCraft in Norfolk provides one-to-one support and access to other specialist services. 

Creating male-inclusive mental health support

Forward-thinking employers can learn from these successful models:

Create dedicated spaces for men to connect, share experiences, and support each other. These shouldn’t replace existing diversity networks but complement them. As seen in successful men’s groups, these spaces should be facilitated by professionals who can create the safest possible space for vulnerability.

Identify male leaders willing to model vulnerability and emotional intelligence and provide them with training on recognising early warning signs and supporting colleagues’ mental health. When senior men share their own struggles and recovery stories, it creates permission for others to do the same.

Reframe mental health language. Emphasise practical skills development – resilience building, stress management, and performance optimisation. 

Examine your organisational culture. Does it reinforce unhealthy masculine norms? Do promotion criteria favour those who work excessive hours? Are men who take parental leave subtly penalised? Is expressing uncertainty or asking for help seen as weakness?

Partner with established men’s mental health organisations like those mentioned above. Many offer corporate partnerships and can provide expertise in creating male-specific mental health interventions.

The leadership dimension

Organisations must recognise that male mental health isn’t just an employee welfare issue. It’s a leadership development and workplace imperative that affects productivity, culture, and ultimately, lives.

Creating psychologically safe environments for male leaders to admit uncertainty, seek support, and model healthy behaviour benefits the entire organisation. When men in leadership positions demonstrate that seeking help is a sign of strength rather than weakness, it transforms workplace culture from the top down.

The question isn’t whether your male employees are struggling; it’s whether you’re creating the conditions for them to thrive. The success of men’s groups across the UK proves that when men are given the right environment and support, they will engage, open up, and help each other heal.