Friday, 28 November, 2025
A major national review has warned that younger men are being systematically overlooked in the UK’s mental health system, despite being among the most vulnerable groups. The groundbreaking report shows that men typically seek NHS help only after their health has severely deteriorated, with mental health emerging as one of the most urgent areas of concern.
The Department of Health and Social Care released its new report, “Men’s health: a strategic vision for England,” on 19 November, drawing on evidence from 6,591 submissions collected over a 12-week period beginning in April 2025. While the document is billed as one of the most comprehensive assessments of men’s health to date, experts warn that key findings may be fundamentally skewed due to gaps in who responded.
Dr. Farhan Ishrak Ahmed, an NHS physician in London
Although the review aims to shape future health policy, its data is overwhelmingly weighted toward older participants: 79% of respondents were aged 45 to 84, while only 6% were under 35—the age group that faces some of the highest mental-health risks yet is least likely to seek help. This underrepresentation, clinicians say, risks producing a strategy that fails the men most likely to fall through the cracks.
Health specialists stress that this gap is particularly alarming because men aged 25–44 have suicide rates nearly equal to older demographics. Yet, they remain statistically the least likely to access formal mental-health services or disclose distress during clinical visits.
Survey participants identified mental health and male-specific cancers as the most urgent priorities, with 46% citing mental health as a major concern. Many expressed anxiety over long waiting times, unclear referral pathways, and a reluctance to discuss mental health issues in traditional clinical settings. Others said they wished to avoid medication-led approaches, calling for more flexible, non-drug-based support.
One of the most troubling findings is that only 32% of men knew where to turn during a mental-health crisis, highlighting a deep communication failure within the existing NHS system.
Experts argue that current NHS pathways are designed for men who are already willing and able to seek help—while offering little to those who avoid the health system altogether.
As Dr. Kultar Singh Garcha warned, “If we continue offering the same difficult routes to care, we cannot expect outcomes for men to improve.”
Clinicians are now urging the government to introduce immediate-access options that bypass traditional appointment systems. Proposed solutions include walk-in psychological services, digital or community-based support hubs, and early-intervention programmes focused on non-drug treatments. These, experts say, are essential to reaching younger men before they hit crisis point.
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A major national review has warned that younger men are being systematically overlooked in the UK’s mental health system, despite being among the most vulnerable groups. The groundbreaking report shows that men typically seek NHS help only after their health has severely deteriorated, with mental health emerging as one of the most urgent areas of concern.
The Department of Health and Social Care released its new report, “Men’s health: a strategic vision for England,” on 19 November, drawing on evidence from 6,591 submissions collected over a 12-week period beginning in April 2025. While the document is billed as one of the most comprehensive assessments of men’s health to date, experts warn that key findings may be fundamentally skewed due to gaps in who responded.
Dr. Farhan Ishrak Ahmed, an NHS physician in London
Although the review aims to shape future health policy, its data is overwhelmingly weighted toward older participants: 79% of respondents were aged 45 to 84, while only 6% were under 35—the age group that faces some of the highest mental-health risks yet is least likely to seek help. This underrepresentation, clinicians say, risks producing a strategy that fails the men most likely to fall through the cracks.
Health specialists stress that this gap is particularly alarming because men aged 25–44 have suicide rates nearly equal to older demographics. Yet, they remain statistically the least likely to access formal mental-health services or disclose distress during clinical visits.
Survey participants identified mental health and male-specific cancers as the most urgent priorities, with 46% citing mental health as a major concern. Many expressed anxiety over long waiting times, unclear referral pathways, and a reluctance to discuss mental health issues in traditional clinical settings. Others said they wished to avoid medication-led approaches, calling for more flexible, non-drug-based support.
One of the most troubling findings is that only 32% of men knew where to turn during a mental-health crisis, highlighting a deep communication failure within the existing NHS system.
Experts argue that current NHS pathways are designed for men who are already willing and able to seek help—while offering little to those who avoid the health system altogether.
As Dr. Kultar Singh Garcha warned, “If we continue offering the same difficult routes to care, we cannot expect outcomes for men to improve.”
Clinicians are now urging the government to introduce immediate-access options that bypass traditional appointment systems. Proposed solutions include walk-in psychological services, digital or community-based support hubs, and early-intervention programmes focused on non-drug treatments. These, experts say, are essential to reaching younger men before they hit crisis point.
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