James Donaldson on Mental Health - Men’s wellbeing groups are growing ? and helping fill gaps in mental health support

Paul Doyle/Alamy Pressure on mental health services across the UK is leaving many men without timely support when they need it most.

Men in the UK die by suicide at more than three times the rate of women.

There’s a link between poor mental health and suicide , which means men’s wellbeing needs urgent attention.

Yet long NHS waiting lists for psychological support mean that many men are unable to access help when they need it.

In Wales, the mental health charity Mind Cymru reports that more than 2,000 people with moderate to severe mental health problems are waiting over six months for therapy in any given month.

When men are unable or unwilling to seek support, they have historically been inclined to engage in alternative coping strategies, such as substance use .

As formal services come under increasing strain, informal men’s groups, including community-based peer support groups, continue to grow.

These groups remain poorly understood.

New research by my colleagues and I on these groups in Wales shows that they could help fill an important gap in mental health support.

We surveyed 30 men’s wellbeing groups across Wales and found that these initiatives are thriving despite limited resources.