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Our Student Wellbeing and Student Life teams have created a new podcast designed to support male students with their mental health.
For 3 in 4 people with mental health difficulties, their symptoms started by their mid-20s. With almost half of all state school pupils in England starting higher education by age 25, universities play a critical role in supporting students’ wellbeing during this pivotal life stage.
Research by the Mental Health Foundation found that men are more likely to reach crisis point. This pattern is reflected in university suicide data.
The Office for National Statistics reveals that 720 male students died by suicide between 2017 and 2023, compared with 388 female students.
According to Student Minds, male students are less likely to tell their university about their mental health or reach out for support – this doesn’t mean they’re less likely to need support. There are also more negative attitudes towards the use of mental health support services.
There’s clearly an urgent need for support and early intervention for male students.
Our new, four-part miniseries responds by giving male students a platform to tell their stories and share the challenges they’ve faced with their own mental health.
These personal narratives highlight shared themes and trials and offer valuable insights not only for male students but also for staff and peers who support them.
You can listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music.
We’ve also built strong relationships with local community organisations, such as Andy’s Man Club, and supported their involvement in university events. Their presence on campus helps promote open conversations about men’s mental health and ensures students have access to supportive networks both within and beyond the university.
There is always more work to do, but these are good first steps.
3 barriers to support for male students
Being able to recognise signs of poor mental health is essential. For many male students, even when they sense that something is wrong, limited understanding of how conditions such as anxiety or depression present can create an additional barrier. This lack of awareness makes it harder to identify what they are experiencing, when to seek support, what type of help they need, and where to access it.
Many male students find the formal nature of university support services off-putting. Talking about mental health with professionals who use clinical language in formal environments can be a deterrent. Concerns about trust and confidentiality can also play a role. There can be a reluctance to attend anything resembling a lecture or workshop to discuss wellbeing, as students often do this as part of their studies.
A significant barrier is societal and not exclusive to universities. Traditional notions of masculinity can affect male understanding of mental health. This can then influence decision-making about help-seeking. Many young men feel pressure to be strong, in control, and to never display feelings, or perceived weakness.
This dominant version of masculinity, with its unrealistic and antiquated set of traits can make it difficult for men to talk honestly to family and friends and reach out for professional support. Men who do not fit into this version can feel inferior or faulty, which can then add another layer of confusion and distress to existing issues. The recent ugly rise to cultural prominence of toxic masculinity amplifies these traits, whilst causing further societal harms through promoting sexism, misogyny, and homophobia.
Looking to the future
Universities already provide bespoke support services for various student groups. They also have a responsibility to design and deliver appropriate support for male students.
As institutions of learning and personal development, universities have a unique opportunity to engage males around mental health issues.
What universities can do to help
An opportunity to promote a positive version of masculinity. That it is ok to express emotions in healthy ways; that strength can include vulnerability; that we can be strong, caring, vulnerable, and responsible all at once. This version of masculinity encourages help seeking.
Create opportunities to include male students in how they want support delivered. Consulting with them to understand varying needs to co-produce services and support: Whether this is male only spaces, or fun, enjoyable spaces where the focus is not on mental health.
Sometimes referred to as ‘mental health by stealth’, these informal environments can provide opportunities to talk in a way that is less challenging.
Provide opportunities to promote interventions through student networks, societies, and clubs, as opposed to only student services. Incentivise attendance at mental health events. Use the power of peer influence by showing positive examples of men who care about their emotional wellbeing.
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