For various reasons, men are less likely to disclose their mental health struggles to friends, family or doctors - only 55% of men who have experienced depression will do. This silence may add to the upsetting statistic that in 2016 76% of all suicides in the UK were male.
At the time of this World Cup, Tesco's clothing brand F&F has partnered with CALM charity (Campaign Against Living Miserably) to promote male mental health, supporting men to open up and look out for each other. The F&F CALM #MarkYourMan campaign aims to encourage men to support each other through their highs and lows with mental health as they would support their football team at the time of the World Cup.
Comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett are the faces of the #MarkYourMan campaign. Tesco is selling exclusive charity t-shirts and will donate £1 from the sale of each CALM top sold until August 1 2018 with an aim of raising £20,000 for the charity.
If you or your friend are in need of immediate help, CALM’s helpline is open 5pm to midnight every day on 0800 58 58 58. You can also look for a therapist on welldoing.org for longer-term support.
