People talk about men’s mental health far more than they used to, and every November brings Movember and International Men’s Day on the 19th. England also has its first government men’s health strategy. Yet a man who wants help may still find there’s nowhere obvious to start.
Part of the problem is that mental health services and men don’t always use the same words. Some men of one generation may steer clear of the phrase “mental health” and talk about stress or pressure from work or money. Another generation of men are more at ease with it, though still worry about being judged if it’s about them.
But many men are happy to discuss their health, and plenty use treatment when it fits around their lives. Whether you’re worried about yourself or a man in your life, it helps to know why so many men still miss out on the help available.
Drug & alcohol addiction rehab for men
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Why is men’s mental health still overlooked?
Men’s mental health is overlooked less because men refuse help than because of how help is set up. In July 2024, Movember’s chief executive, Michelle Terry, said men’s health had been “relegated to the sidelines of broader health conversations”.
England’s government men’s health strategy, published in November 2025, names stigma and services that don’t respond to men’s needs as barriers to men getting help. It also includes £3.6 million over three years for suicide prevention projects aimed at middle-aged men.
The King’s Fund spoke to 98 men in focus groups and interviews in autumn 2025. Many weren’t sure when low mood or worry was bad enough to see anyone about it. Several had put off seeking help because they expected it to be hard.
Public Health Scotland found that 35.5% of the 26,798 referrals to psychological therapies in the three months to December 2025 were for males. It labels these figures “official statistics in development”, so we do quote them with caution. Movember’s report on Scotland, from September 2026, asks the Scottish Government for a fully costed men’s health action plan.
How stigma affects men’s mental health
In The King’s Fund study, some older men called talking about mental health “moaning”. One group said a man known to have a mental health problem can get written off by his friends.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) asked 5,000 adults about therapy in 2025. It found that 47% of men thought there’s a stigma about therapy, against 38% of women. It also found that 34% of men called therapy self-indulgent unless the problem is serious, against 17% of women.
A man can start to share these views himself, so when he feels flat or worn out he may put it down to work or a rough patch. Men in The King’s Fund study said they found it harder to speak up because they didn’t want to look weak, and it held some men back more than others, depending on age and culture. Male mental health awareness campaigns aim to change views like these.
What mental health issues commonly affect men?
Anxiety and depression are the most common men’s mental health issues in England. In the 2023/24 NHS Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 5.0% of men also had enough symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to warrant further investigation. The survey found that 24.8% of men drank at hazardous levels or above, about twice the rate for women (11.7%).
The signs of poor mental health in men can also be overlooked. Men are more likely to notice tiredness, irritability, poor sleep or a loss of interest in things than to feel sad. To other people, these can look like being short-tempered, keeping away from friends, working long hours or drinking more.
At Castle Craig, we often meet men whose depression or anxiety went unnoticed for years.
We also find mental health issues in men who ask us for help with drink or drugs. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities counted those who started drug and alcohol treatment in England in 2024 to 2025. Of the men and women who started, 74% said they needed mental health treatment too. Men also made up almost 70% of everyone in treatment.
Some men drink to cope with feelings they’ve never had the chance to talk through, or aren’t sure how to. That reliance on drinking to manage male mental health can – for some – develop into alcohol addiction.
Alcohol can ease worry or low mood for a few hours, but as it wears off, mood and anxiety usually dip and sleep gets worse. If you drink regularly, the brain adapts, so you need more to get the same effect. You may then drink again to ease the low mood and anxiety that follow.
Men’s mental health support: where to start
You can start by talking to a friend you trust, and then see a general practitioner (GP) or an NHS talking therapy service. How much therapy a man needs varies; and a fixed number of therapy sessions can be an obstacle to getting help as a man, because some men need a few sessions before they open up. Others need more than weekly sessions, especially when drinking or drug use and depression or anxiety make each other worse.
Every patient at Castle Craig has a psychiatric assessment. Our approach to treatment addresses mental health and addiction together.
Castle Craig is part of Castle Health, which provides mental health treatment on its own as well as dual diagnosis treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental health challenges. Castle Health also offers outpatient treatment. After an assessment, we decide with you which type of treatment suits you.
Call us for a confidential assessment
Supporting men’s mental health as someone close to them
If you’re close to a man whose mood or drinking worries you, it usually helps to start with what’s going on in his life.
Many older men in The King’s Fund study talked about work or money problems, so starting there might be good.
Men in the study found it easier to talk while doing something together, like a walk, and easier with friends than with a partner or an older parent. If you brush his worries aside or give him an ultimatum, the conversation usually ends.
If he needs more help than you can give, depression and anxiety are among the conditions we treat. We also offer family therapy because the people around a man play a part in his recovery. Read more about what residential treatment is like.
In England and Wales in 2025, 17.5 men in every 100,000 died by suicide, against 5.5 women in every 100,000. In Scotland, 522 of the 703 probable suicides in 2025 were men.
If you’re thinking about suicide, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option in England, or phone 111 for the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub in Scotland. If you’re in immediate danger, call 999.
Frequently asked questions about men’s mental health
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Why is men’s mental health awareness important?
People spot problems sooner when they know what to look for. That goes for men and for the people around them. BACP found that 29% of men had tried therapy by 2025, up from 18% in 2010. It also found that 73% of the men and women who had therapy said it helped.
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Why is men’s mental health overlooked in social situations?
Only 49% of men in BACP’s survey felt comfortable talking to friends about their mental health, against 60% of women. At work, most men in The King’s Fund study didn’t think it was safe to admit to a mental health problem, whatever the company policy said. They feared being judged if they did.
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What are the best apps for men’s mental health support in the UK?
No app replaces men’s mental health support from a professional. Samaritans Self-Help is free and has a mood tracker and coping techniques. SilverCloud is an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) course for mild to moderate anxiety, depression or stress. It’s free through the NHS, and you can sign up yourself in Wales. It’s not suitable if you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Some NHS services in England and Scotland offer it too.
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How can I find affordable therapy for men in the UK?
In England, you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies for free, or go through your GP. In Scotland, you can ring NHS 24’s Living Life service on 0800 328 9655 for free phone-based CBT. Local Mind centres in England and Wales run free mental health services.
If you have any questions, never hesitate to get in touch with us.
We’ve helped many people turn their lives around
Taking the first step with your mental health
- Tell someone you trust what you’ve noticed, even if it only takes a sentence or two.
- Contact us for a confidential conversation. You can also ask about the facilities at Castle Craig if you’d like to know what a stay is like.
Our clinical team is here whenever you feel ready, and you decide whether to go any further.
