At the start of Men’s Health Week, the NHS in London is encouraging more men to use NHS Talking Therapies Service as patient feedback shows that men have life-changing outcomes to their mental health as a result.
Although men are less likely to use the service than women, patient experience surveys have shown that 92% of male patients who completed their session felt they received the help they needed during all, or most of their treatment, with 94% feeling that therapy staff always listened and treated their concerns seriously.
Dr. Billy Boland, Regional Clinical Director for Mental Health for the NHS in London, said:
“We know that talking therapy is effective for men with mental illness. Most men who use NHS talking therapies say they feel listened to and taken seriously. Sadly, stigma still stops many men from seeking early help – especially Black, Asian, and minority ethnic men, who also face extra barriers to care. Early access to support, like talking therapy, can make a real difference. If you’re struggling, please reach out to the NHS.”[AE1]
Across the capital, community projects are also providing hands-on support for men in their local areas. Jesse Ashiegbu, owner of Headlinerz barber shop in Greenwich, provides mental and physical health check-ins to male customers having their hair cut.
Since 2021, Jesse has held peer-led monthly health conversations at barber shops across the borough over jollof rice, bringing men from ethnic minority backgrounds together in a non-judgemental space to discuss health and wellbeing.
He said: “Silence is killing men. As someone who once contemplated suicide at a young age, I understand the power that lies in honest conversations. I wanted to replicate the same familiar environment I once wished for in my own dark days.”
In the shop, the team turns every visit into a health check, offering blood pressure checks and signposting to the NHS website to interpret the results. They also commission conversations around chronic diseases like hypertension and prostate cancer.
At their jollof nights, the team reach men in a familiar, trusted space and have honest conversations about mental and physical health topics.
Simon Ossai, regular jollof night attendee from Greenwich, said: “The importance of men having the opportunity to discuss health topics in a space like this cannot be overstated. The jollof nights are about peer-to-peer conversation where men can draw out things they may be trying to shy away from.
“It gives men like me an opportunity to feel human and explain how they feel in an engaging and educating way.”
NHS Talking Therapies can give men access to effective emotional and practical support and equip them with the necessary tools to cope. Recent data shows that NHS Talking Therapies is accessible for all, with men and women experiencing similar waiting times, positive treatment outcomes and recovery rates.
Men do not need to have a diagnosed mental health condition to refer themselves to NHS talking therapies and receive the support they need. Find local services and the self-referral portal here.
