Recession ‘threatening men’s mental health’

The current recession is putting men’s mental health at risk, new research has claimed.

A report published by the mental health charity Mind today found that almost 40 per cent of men are currently worried or feeling ‘low’.

The study found men are half as likely as women to talk to friends about their problems, and only 23 per cent said they would go see their GP if they felt low for over a fortnight.

“The recession is clearly having a detrimental impact on the nation’s mental health but men in particular are struggling with the emotional impact,” Mind’s chief executive Paul Farmer said.

The research is part of the charity’s Get it off your chest campaign, which aims to get men to recognise the importance of talking about their problems and calls for a strategy for men’s health, similar to ones already devoted to women.

Mind claims the recession is set to make existing problems worse, with one in seven men developing depression within six months of losing their jobs.