Men fear mental health stigma

SOME men fail to seek help for mental health problems because they are too embarrassed to speak freely to female receptionists at GP surgeries, MPS have been told.

Prof Sarah Niblock, chief executive of the UK Council for Psychotherapy, told the Commons women and equalities committee of a “stigma” around mental health.

“Walking into my local GP, you have to tell someone on the desk, who is often female, why you want an appoint- ment,” said Prof Niblock. “That immediately could be a huge barrier for men actually coming forward and speaking about it in the first place.”

The committee is holding an inquiry into mental health problems in men and boys, and the barriers they face accessing support.

According to the Office for National Statistics, three out of four people who take their own lives are men. Suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 50 in England and Wales.