More than a third of Mancunians would prefer not to talk about their mental health rather than risk an awkward conversation.
The survey, released today by mental health charity Mind, also found 33% have pushed friends or family away or stopped socialising for the same reason.
This data comes a week after Mind CEO Dr Sarah Hughes claimed the government were “deprioritising” mental health.
Dr Hughes said: ““Now is not the time to take a step back on mental health. We do not believe that the government will deliver on its health and growth missions without a transformative mental health plan.”
The main reasons given for not talking were a fear of being judged or labelled (20%), fear of being a burden (17%), and fear of being seen as dramatic (17%).
Nearly a quarter of Mancunians say keeping quiet has made their mental health worse, and more than one in ten say it’s caused them to struggle at school or work.
Kerry Anthony MBE, CEO of wellbeing charity Inspire, said: “We need to keep on talking about talking or risk rolling back to the times when these important conversations simply didn’t happen.”
Mind conducted this research as part of its biggest mental health campaign Time to Talk Day, which takes place across the UK on 6 February.
Mind partner with several different companies to deliver Time to Talk Day – Rethink Mental Illness and Co-op in England, See Me and Scottish Action for Mental Health (Scotland), Inspire (Northern Ireland), and Time to Change Wales (Wales).
“It’s not preventative, it’s not proactive, it’s reactive”
Dr Nihara Krause MBE, clinical psychologist and founder of teen mental health charity stem4, agrees with Dr Hughes that mental health is being “deprioritised” in the UK.
Dr Krause said: “It’s almost like it was flavour of the year a couple of years ago, and now, there’s no funding.
“The focus has been on making it an emergency service, almost.
“It’s not preventative, it’s not proactive, it’s just reactive.”
Dr Krause also said people really benefit from celebrities talking about mental health – and that men in particular pay attention to sportsmen who talk about their mental health.
She said: “If you are in a ‘strong’ sport – you’re a boxer, on an MMA fighter, it definitely helps.”
Dr Krause also said it was so hard to be vulnerable and talk about mental health because “there’s a real fear of being rejected or being judged.”
When listening to a friend opening up about their mental health, Dr Krause also warns against “coming forward and talking about your own problems, without listening to what they might be saying.”
Featured image by nappy on Pexels
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