Men much less likely to seek mental health help than women

Huge survey shows gender gap and the need for ‘cultural shift’ says charity chief.

Men are far less likely to seek medical support for a mental health problem than women, new figures reveal.

A survey commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation found that not only are men far less likely than women to seek professional support, they are also less likely to disclose a mental health problem to friends and family.

The YouGov survey, the largest of its kind, polling more than 2,500 people who have had mental health problems, showed 28% of men admitted that they had not sought medical help, compared with 19% of women.

The survey found that a third of women, compared with a quarter of men, had told friends or family about their mental health problem within a month of it arising. More than a third of men, compared with a quarter of women, either waited more than two years or chose never to tell friends or family about their problem.