More than one in 11 (9.3%) of all men in employment under 40 were found to be experiencing mental health issues. A large number do not participate in mental wellbeing initiatives either.

In addition, close to all (92%) of this group reported feeling nervous or restless at least a little of the time in the prior month.

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This is according to new research from Vitality and its Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study.

It also found that those aged between 18 and 25 years old were the largest group of male employees affected by mental health issues. 10% suffered from symptoms of moderate to severe depression.

The data was collected before the Covid-19 pandemic, which Vitality stated was likely to have “exacerbated” these issues.

Furthermore, Vitality’s mental health ambassador Jonny Wilkinson encouraged people to seek out support when required.

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He said: “Mental health affects everyone and is at the centre of our overall wellbeing. We know that men, in particular young men, can sometimes find it hard to be open and honest, often struggling with depression and anxiety alone.

“For me, talking about my mental health and focusing upon the most challenging times of my life has played a key role towards unlocking real possibility for transformation. By continuing to do so I hope I can help people reach out, access and seek support when they need it.”

Mental wellbeing and health initiatives

Vitality also found that 95% of organisations offered at least one type of mental wellbeing initiative. In addition, 82% of organisations offer at least four types of workplace mental wellbeing initiatives. These include mindfulness classes or employee assistance programmes.

However, 25% of men and 20% of women are not aware of these initiatives in the workplace. A large chunk (70%) of male employees aged between 18 and 25 did not participate in mental wellbeing initiatives in the workplace. 67% of men aware of wellbeing initiatives did not participate in them.

Judy Parfitt, chief people officer at Vitality, added: “This data was gathered before lockdown, and the pandemic has definitely amplified mental health challenges. In recent years, many companies have introduced initiatives to promote employee mental wellbeing, but how these services are promoted and accessed may have been adversely affected with many people working from home.

“It’s vitally important that employers continue to prioritise mental health, identifying employees who may be experiencing issues, and signposting the mental wellbeing initiatives and support available to them.”