Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi has addressed Parliament on the subject of men's mental health in recognition of International Men's Day – which fell on Saturday.
Ms Qureshi, who used to be a member of suicide prevention charity Samaritans, spoke to her peers in the House of Commons about her experience of having people call the helpline.
She said: "I remember there were times when people would ring about three or four times, the same person with the same problem, and it was quite clear that they needed someone to listen to them and talk to them. Not to give them advice, not to guide them, but to actually just listen.
Today marks #InternationalMensDay
— Yasmin Qureshi MP (@YasminQureshiMP) November 19, 2022
Earlier this week I made reference to the fantastic work the @Samaritans do to support those in hard times
With such a high rate of suicide amongst men, many who often struggle to speak out about their issues, the work Samaritans do is crucial pic.twitter.com/hfxZrj7hx9
"So, it's important how much loneliness there is in our society, especially for men."
She went on to say that Samaritans figures show that suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under the age of 50 and around three quarters of suicide deaths per year are men.
She added: "Data from the Office of National Statistics shows that the highest rates of suicide in men been in mixed and white ethnic groups.
"Men aged 45 to 49 are most at risk of suicide, and the rate this group has been persistently high for many years.
"Historically, we know there's often an alpha male archetype where many men feel force to stoically toughen up and get through the bad times, whilst avoiding talking up or speaking to people or seeking help.
On #InternationalMensDay we're reminded that more needs to be done to address the barriers and stigma around male mental health@Samaritans data finds that men account for three-quarters of all suicides and its the leading cause of death among men under 50 in the UK pic.twitter.com/gVDVNz3eut
— Yasmin Qureshi MP (@YasminQureshiMP) November 19, 2022
"We need to do more to address these very outdated stereotypes of masculinity.
"And equally, of course, we need to do more to support men who are struggling or in crisis."
If someone is struggling, whatever they are going through, they can call Samaritans for free on 116 123.
If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at lewis.finney@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @lewisfinney18
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here