Young men and mental health: how do you cope with anxiety?

A quarter of young men self-harm to cope with depression, stress and anxiety, according to a survey by YouGov.

The poll of 500 men aged between 16 and 24 found that 24% had turned to self-harm to deal with difficult emotions. Additionally, 22% said they had considered doing so.

When under pressure, the survey also found a large number of young men resorted to exercising excessively, controlled eating, pulling out their hair, punching walls and abusing drugs.

Dr Marc Bush, senior policy adviser at a leading youth charity, Young Minds, said that men also increasingly feel pressure to look a certain way these days, often lacking self-esteem. He warned about body image issues which affect some young people, leading to excessive exercising and even working out through injury, which could cause damage.

We want to hear from young men about this topic. Do you agree with the findings? Have you self-harmed to deal with stress? What are your biggest worries and concerns? Do you struggle with anxiety and depression? What ways have you found to cope? What can be done to tackle stigmas around men and their mental health? Share your views and experiences.

You can do so by filling in our encrypted form below – anonymously if you wish – or We will do our best to ensure your responses are kept secure and confidential. A selection of contributions will be featured in our reporting.

Young men and mental health: how do you cope with anxiety?