By: Josh Thomas
Men’s mental health is an incredibly important cause. It sounds stupid putting that into writing because it’s as obvious as it sounds. But I’ll say it again: men’s mental health is an incredibly important cause. It’s important because 12.5% of men in England have a mental health disorder (NHS Digital, 2024). It’s important because men are three times more likely to die by suicide in England than women (Samaritans, 2023). Mental health challenges can affect anyone, but men face unique social barriers in addressing these struggles.
Priory, a mental health and social care service, revealed troubling insights: 40% of men in the UK have never spoken to anyone about their mental health. Their most alarming finding? 77% of men reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety, stress, or depression, with a significant proportion leaving it unaddressed.
The message is clear: men need to start talking.
Having struggled with mental health issues in the past, and occasionally in the here and now, this is close to my heart. Some of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had were with friends or family about my mental health, yet those discussions have also been the most important.
There are times I’ve wished close mates felt able to open up. I know how heavy the burden of coping alone can be. At the same time, I know it can be terrifying to admit that you need help and can’t handle it all on your own. But I can assure you, your friends and family would rather have that difficult conversation, no matter how long it takes, than know you’re suffering in silence.
That kind of self-honesty can be life-saving. A simple conversation with a mate could help them turn a corner and start a journey to a happier life. No one has to counsel their mates 24/7, but I’d encourage you to create an environment where your mates feel empowered to talk.
Movember is the perfect time to raise awareness. I wanted to do something that raised funds and encouraged men to talk and check in with their mates. To support the cause, I joined the LSESU Men’s Football Club (FC) Movember page and set myself a challenge alongside other AU committee members: walk a marathon to the Berrylands and back alongside Ava Kondazi, Women’s Football Social Secretary.
This route holds special significance: it was run last year by one of LSESU Men’s FC’s finest alumni, Jack Berry. Jack articulated the sentiment perfectly: “I embarked on this challenge because marathons are hard, but waking up and not wanting to live out the day is harder […] Currently I feel blessed to choose the hardship in my life, the hardship that will hopefully help someone who struggles without choice.”
Running a marathon is incredibly impressive,especially with minimal training. However, recurring back issues mean that running is impossible for me, and while it is mentally draining to walk for that length of time, it is ultimately easier.
Naturally, I decided to embrace the theme by dressing as a berry – both in honour of Jack and our halfway destination, the Berrylands. To add an extra twist, I challenged myself to drink 26 different soft drinks, one for each mile of the marathon, as quickly as I could. At the time, it seemed funny and achievable. Two weeks of gut issues later, I’d definitely think twice about doing it again.
The aim of the soft drinks was to highlight the relationship between alcohol and mental health, particularly prevalent within a university setting. So, the challenge began at 8am on 13 November with a lime soda at Shakies and ended some 11-and-a-half hours later with a J20 at Tuns. After mistakenly extending the route to 31 miles, I finally arrived at 7.30pm, having sampled everything from Lipton Iced Tea to Irn Bru along the way. Each ‘schooner’ (drink) was recorded for the LSESU Men’s FC Instagram, and the account I was imitating while recording each drink (@schoonerscorer, with c.240k followers on Instagram) even reposted the 25th video and donated £50! As I write this, my fundraising page sits at £1069, and I’m grateful for everyone who has supported me.
The walk was largely enjoyable, and I raised far more money than I ever expected. However, if I inspired even one person to turn to a mate and admit they’re struggling, then that’s what it was really about. There should be no stigma, no feeling of embarrassment in discussing your mental health, yet it continues to be a root cause of a global pandemic. Suicide was the third leading cause of death among 15-29-year-old males globally in 2021 (WHO). This stigma needs to be broken down. Things won’t improve until that happens.
I’ll finish by quoting myself, recording the final drink of the marathon, at Tuns:
“I know it’s all been in good spirits and a bit of fun today, but men’s mental health is a really important cause, and I just wanted to do this today to raise awareness. I’ve struggled with my mental health before, I still do sometimes now, but it’s really important to keep talking, get your mates to talk, make sure that they’re ok, maybe even go for a schooner…”
