Men’s health through the ages

The story of men’s health, whether they’re sixteen or sixty and beyond, is one about relationships. 

It’s not only about your relationship with the men in your life – be that family, friends, or co-worker. It’s also about men’s relationship with themselves: their physical, emotional, and mental health.

Building awareness for men’s mental health, let’s explore what these relationships look like and how to help them flourish.

Our research was conducted by Censuswide with 1,000 nationally representative UK men, aged 16+ between 02.05.2024 - 09.05.2024.

In this article, you’ll find: 

1. A look into men’s mental health
   • What regularly makes men feel stressed?
   • How does mental health stress affect work?
2. Do men talk about their mental health?
   • How often do they talk about their mental health?
   • Who gives the most support?
3. How can we help support men’s mental health?
   • What activities could help?
   • What about professional help?
   • Breaking the silence and stigma around it
   • Can medical insurance help with your mental health?
4. A look into men’s physical health
   • How’s men’s physical health looking?
   • Do men lead active lifestyles?
   • How often are men checking their physical health?

67% of men rate their mental health as ‘good’ or higher, according to our latest survey, with 35–44-year-olds rating the highest at 75%. ^{Footnote [1]}  

But it may be worth checking in with our younger lads, as men aged 16-24 rate their mental health the lowest with one in five (21%) rating it ‘poor’ or lower. ^{Footnote [1]}  

So, what’s stressing them out?

What regularly makes men feel stressed?

The main things men feel stressed about, regardless of their age, are:   ^{Footnote [1]}

• finances (28%)
• worrying about the future (27%)
• their own health (20%)
• their job (18%)

36% of men aged 16-24 say worrying about the future is their main stressor while those aged 45-54 point the finger at finance (35%).  ^{Footnote [1]}

How does mental health stress affect work?

From difficulty concentrating and struggling to make decisions, to feeling overwhelmed and being forgetful, stress can limit our success at work. ^{Footnote [2]} This could also mean changes in physical behaviour, such as:   ^{Footnote [2]}

• being irritable and snappy 
• sleeping too much or not enough  
• eating too much or not enough  
• staying away from certain people or places 

And this could lead to work absence. “Stress continues to be one of the main causes of short- and long-term absence,” writes the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIDP).  ^{Footnote [3]} A third of men (33%), according to our study, have taken a day of leave from work because of their mental health.  ^{Footnote [1]}

Of the men surveyed, those admitting to taking off work for mental health reasons in the past three months looks like:

• 68% of men aged 25-34 
• 66% of men aged 16-24
• 61% of men aged 35-44

Regardless of age, men’s mental health concerns could put a strain on their relationship with work. And this may be an opportunity to chat about what support they could use and how health insurance could help.

“If you were struggling with your mental health,” asks the survey, “would you talk about this to others?” In theory, most would.  

Nearly three quarters of men (71%) would talk to someone if they were struggling with their mental health, our survey found. And while nearly half (45%), across all age groups, said they would speak with their GP:   ^{Footnote [1]}

• more than a quarter of men aged 16-24 (26%) are more likely to talk to close family members, which is more than any other age group. 
• men aged 16-24 are more likely to talk to people online for support than any other age group (19%).
• men aged 25-34 are more likely to talk to a specialist counselling helpline than any other age group (25%).
• men aged 45-54 are more likely to talk to their employer about their mental health than any other age group (8%).

How often do they talk about mental health?

But while they’re seemingly more willing to chat about mental health issues in theory, the reality may be more complicated.  

Of those surveyed,  ^{Footnote [1]}

• a third (33%) never discuss their mental health with their employers. 
• almost two in five men, who are a parent or guardian, (39%) never talk about it with their children.
• more than a quarter (28%) never discuss mental health with their family. 
• one in ten aged 16-24 (11%) say they always discuss mental health with their employer while only 1% of those aged 55+ do so.

So, for some men, there may be a disconnect between whether they would (in theory) talk and whether they do (in reality) talk about mental health. And who they’re willing to chat with and where may also reflect generational comfort levels. 

Who gives the most support?

For those who decided to talk about their mental health worries, some support they received came out on top. Of the men surveyed,   ^{Footnote [1]}

• 81% found support from their partner as most helpful. 
• 76% found support from family most helpful. 
• 75% found friends most helpful.

Be it exercise or sleep, and many activities in between, there are ways to help improve mental health.  

What activities could help?

Overall, for those surveyed, there are three main activities: ^{Footnote [1]}  

1. more sleep or having a better sleep schedule (29%)
2. participating in more physical exercise (22%)
3. eating healthier (20%)

The most popular activities to combat mental health challenges for those aged: ^{Footnote [1]}  

• 16-24 is playing video games (32%)
• 25-34 is exercising (30%)
• 35-44 is exercising or playing video games (both 26%)
• 45-54 is going for a walk (35%)
• 55+ is going for a walk (40%)

It may be encouraging exercise, a friendly throw-down of video games, or enjoying a walk that can support men’s positive mental health.

What about professional help?

Whether seeing a GP, an NHS mental health specialist, or private specialist, a significant group of men found the support they received helpful. 

While overall, two in five men (40%) sought professional help for their mental health, more than half of 25–34-year-olds (58%) spoke to professionals for help in this area. An overwhelming majority (80% and 90% respectively) found the support they received helpful, with over a third receiving medication. ^{Footnote [1]}  

And of the youngest age group surveyed, 16–24-year-olds, more than half (53%) went to a professional for help with their mental health. ^{Footnote [1]}  

Breaking the silence and stigma around it

Although some men are finding ways to better their mental health, there are nevertheless concerns around stigma and suffering in silence. 

More than a third of men (35%) believe that men suffer in silence and that they don’t like to admit when they have a problem (34%). ^{Footnote [1]}  And while more than a quarter of men aged 16-24 (28%) believe men who openly discuss mental health are being good role models, a near equal number (one in five or 21%) think men come across as weak talking about their mental health. ^{Footnote [1]}  

And perhaps it’s of little surprise with nearly a quarter (24%) of this age group feeling more pressure than ever to look good, which is higher than any other age group surveyed. ^{Footnote [1]}  

But there is hope, with one in five men (20%) recognising there’s more to be done when it comes to giving men the confidence to be open about their health and wellbeing. 

Can medical insurance help with your mental health?

This depends on the medical insurance. Some health cover could extend to mental health conditions, helping to pay the cost of treatments while giving general and preventative support. And some policies include mental health as standard while others give the option of specific mental health add-ons that cost more. Other cover gives the option of both. 

With NHS waiting times spanning anywhere from 6 to 18 weeks for mental health referrals, ^{Footnote [4]}   one benefit of health cover is that you may be able to get treatment quicker for eligible mental health conditions.

Check out our article exploring whether mental health care is covered by health insurance, to learn more.

Common mental health conditions covered by insurers are: 

• anxiety 
• depression
• eating disorders 
• substance abuse 

But it’s important to check with individual insurers about conditions they cover and whether they provide extra support, such as online resources. 

Of those surveyed, however, more than a third of men have never had medical insurance (35%), but just over one in five (21%) used medical insurance for their mental health. ^{Footnote [1]}  

The relationship between mental and physical health is one of teamwork: they can thrive together and slump together. 

And men seem to agree. Nearly two thirds of men (63%) believe their physical health has an impact on their mental health. Younger men are seemingly more likely to believe this as more than three quarters of men aged 25-34 (76%) and more than two thirds of men aged 16-24 (71%) feel their physical health has an impact on their mental health, compared to just over half of those aged 55+ (53%). ^{Footnote [1]}  

How’s men’s physical health looking?

• 67% of men aged 25-34 consider themselves to have the best physical health, rating it "good" or higher, closely followed by 66% of men aged 35-44 and 58% of men aged 45-54. ^{Footnote [1]}  
  
• But, just over half (53%) of men aged 16-24 rate their physical health as “good” or higher. 

And physical health is also something on their minds as they worry, on average, 95 times throughout the year about it. ^{Footnote [1]}  

Do men lead active lifestyles?

Overwhelmingly, across the ages, nearly three quarters (74%) of men believe they have a healthy lifestyle. Those aged 35-44 lead the team with over three quarters (79%) feeling they are actively leading a healthy lifestyle. ^{Footnote [1]}  

Wanting to look good is in the top three reasons for those leading a healthy lifestyle for men aged 44 and under. But one in five men (23%) aged 16-24 do so to be good role models. ^{Footnote [1]}  

How often are men checking their physical health?

Heart rate ^{Footnote [1]}  

• A quarter of men never check their heart rate (26%).
• Men aged 45-54 are the least likely to check, with a third (34%) never doing so. 

Blood pressure ^{Footnote [1]}  

• One in five men (20%) never check their blood pressure. 
• More than a quarter of men aged 45-54 (27%) never check their blood pressure. 

Cholesterol level ^{Footnote [1]}  

• Nearly a third of men (30%) never check their cholesterol level. 
• More than a third of men (37%) aged 45-54 never check their cholesterol level. 

Weight ^{Footnote [1]}  

• Nearly one in five men (9%) check their weight more than once a week. 
• More than half of men (52%) check their weight once a month or more.
• One in five men aged 45-54 (20%) and 55+ (19%) never check their weight.

And while nearly three quarters (69%) of men aged 55+ seek medical treatment as soon as they feel unwell or worried about their health, men aged 16-24 are most likely to put it off (43%). ^{Footnote [1]}  

So, whether you’re checking in or just catching up over a cuppa, let’s make sure our menfolk’s health is flourishing – both physically and mentally.