As many as 47 percent of British men feel uncomfortable checking in on their mates and family’s mental health, with 46 percent worrying it will make them feel worse
According to the ONS, three out of four people who take their own lives in the UK are men, while the NHS state that 12.5 percent of men are suffering from mental health problems. But according to a new study, nearly one in five men (19 percent) insist they are not confident they could spot a loved one or friend struggling – while 39 percent admit that looking back, they didn’t see the signs when a friend or loved one wasn’t coping.
Overall, almost half (47 percent) of British men say they find it hard to ask someone if they are OK – with 46 percent not wishing to upset them or make them feel worse (46 percent), while 33 percent don’t want to patronise them. Almost a quarter (22 percent) are not sure how to start a conversation at all, the survey by Pringles, in partnership with Movember, found.
To drive awareness, football pundit and mental health advocate Jimmy Bullard, this week served food and chat to people at the Scan & Scran Café, a traditional British caff pop-up, designed to help the nation start tricky conversations about mental health.
Jimmy Bullard:
“When I worked on site, no topic was off limits. So why is the conversation around where our heads are at such a taboo? Most likely because a lot of us don’t know how to start the conversation! That’s why I’m proud to be working with Pringles and Movember to guide the nation on how to get talking. And where better than in the comfort of a British institution, the high street caff?”
Seven in ten men (72 percent) say that the hardest part of mental health is talking about it, while 71 percent would like to be better informed about how to talk to someone who is struggling.
At a recent ‘pop up cafe’ which ran from 2nd to 3rd of October at 73 Aldgate High Street in London, visitors were shown how they could scan the QR code in Mr P’s iconic moustache on select Pringles tubes to access the Movember Conversations tool.
The tool provides advice and guidance on how best to check in with your mates if you think they need support. Guests will also be given the opportunity to learn more about the Movember-approved ALEC method for talking to friends about their problems; Ask, Listen, Encourage action, and Check in.
When it comes to their own wellbeing, almost half (49 percent) of British men have struggled with negative thoughts. 43 percent think that if they HAD talked about feelings when they were young, it would have made it easier to talk about mental health now.
Research of 2,000 Brits was commissioned by Pringles and conducted by Perspectus Global in September 2024.
