14 Documentaries on Men's Mental Health To Watch Now

TW: This article discusses topics of mental illness and suicide

Mental health problems affect men and women in different ways. As the conversation around mental health opens up we are beginning to better understand the problems that men face and as stigma decreases things are changing for the better. Among other things, gender stereotypes and expectations still make it more difficult for men to reach out for help when they experience mental health problems. 

Traditionally men were, and still are, less likely to access therapy to help with conditions such as anxiety and depression. They are more likely drink alone to relax when they're feeling worried or down and nearly three times more likely to become dependent on alcohol. There are many statistical studies with similar examples, but by far the most alarming is that men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. 

There are a huge number of mental health documentaries made by the friends and family of people who have been lost to suicide. The research and, in particular, the raising of awareness is done after the fact. We're doing better talking about mental health online and in person - but we do have to keep talking about male mental health and these documentaries open the conversation around men's mental health further.

 

Robbie Williams

Netflix has just dropped celeb documentary after celeb documentary this year - and many have an underlying theme of mental health. Robbie Williams opens up about just how he felt at the height of his fame in the 90s and how he copes now.

 

BECKHAM

It may have gone viral for the Rolls Royce of memes but there are some interesting moments in the Beckham documentary where he struggles with pressure to perform on a global stage, as well as anxiety and stress casued by making a mistake or two in the public eye. We appreciate the honesty.

 

Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now

Whilst Lewis made a triumphant return to the top of the singles chart in early 2023 and dropped this documentary on Netflix, we all thought he was back for good. But he has taken another break for his mental health since then and continues to set a wonderful example globally of setting boundaries to look after oneself. This is an honest, and naturally hilarious at times, account of his lifelong journey with fitting in, how he is dealing with anxiety, his new Tourettes diagnosis and being thrust into the limelight at a rapid pace.

 

Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency & The Fight For Our Young Lives

"Roman Kemp explores the mental health and suicide crisis affecting young men. When Roman lost his best friend, he had no idea he was struggling. Now, Roman is searching for answers." This was Roman Kemp's first documentary on mental health - and he has been working on awareness ever since. And has received thousands of messages daily from young people who are struggling since. This month, his new documentary 'follows Roman as he immerses himself in schools, youth centres and treatment settings around the country, meets with experts and charities, and visits the Houses of Parliament to try to understand the potential solutions for improving the mental health of young people in the UK today'. Watch it on iPlayer.

 

Using Football To Tackle Mental Health - James Arthur

We all know that sport and mental health are closely related - and that often the traditional characteristics of the male sports arena made it a difficult place to discuss feelings. Thankfully this is changing. And this documentary adds to that conversation.

 

Freddie Flintoff on Bulimia

Freddie Flintoff opens up about bulimia seeking to understand the causes and impact in his own life, and why eating disorders in general are so hidden in men. Available on BBC iPlayer.

 

Growing Up Gay In A Straight World: Olly Alexander

'Recent figures show that more than 40% of LGBT+ people will experience a significant mental health problem, compared to around 25% of the whole population, and are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide. This is Olly's story.' You can watch the full documentary on the BBC Three iPlayer.

 

Gaming And Me: Identity, Connections and Support

As debate continues as to the effect of gaming on our mental health & wellbeing, the BBC speak to gamers from the UK who tell us how, for them, the positives outweigh the negatives. Watch in full on BBC iPlayer.

 

David Harewood: Psychosis And Me

At 23 years old, actor David Harewood had a psychotic breakdown and was sectioned. As he puts it, he ‘lost his mind’. On World Mental Health Awareness Day 2017, David took to Twitter and spoke publicly about his experiences for the first time. He was overwhelmed by the response.

'In this film, David lets viewers into the realities of experiencing a psychotic breakdown, opening up in a way he has never done before – and in a way that viewers rarely, if ever, have seen anyone, let alone a well-known person do. Meeting up with old friends who were with him when he was sectioned, David realises quite how much he blocked out and travelling up to his hometown of Birmingham, he starts to put the pieces together with his Mum. But he doesn’t want to just trace his own story - David spends time with combined emergency NHS mental health and police teams in Birmingham as they go out on 999 calls to treat people in distress, he meets young people who are living with psychosis at an early intervention group in Solihull run by psychiatrist Erin Turner and spends time with two inspirational young people to talk about their own experiences of psychosis, their treatment and ongoing recoveries.'

 

PTSD: The War In My Head

"17% of former frontline soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from probable PTSD. "

This film tells the stories of three British soldiers who died last year following lengthy battles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). John Paul Finnigan from Liverpool, Kevin Williams from London, and Kevin Holt from Doncaster were in the same regiment, 2-Rifles, which served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through personal videos, voice notes, interviews and letters, this film reveals the private battle these men fought with their mental health while candid conversations with the soldiers’ friends and families document how their illnesses affected those around them. Watch the full documentary here.

 

Dr Alex: Our Mental Health Crisis

Dr Alex George follows the journeys of young people across the UK who are living with mental health issues. He explores the wide range of difficulties they face and finds out how local charities, including projects funded by Children in Need, are making a difference. As an A&E doctor and the UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador, Alex has seen at first hand the effects of the pandemic on young people’s mental wellbeing, but he never thought they would affect his own family. But in July 2020, Alex’s 19-year-old brother Llyr, who had been struggling with anxiety during lockdown, took his own life. This poignant film was his response.

 

Jordan Stephens: The Whole Truth

Jordan Stephens hosted this groundbreaking conversation about mental health, music and systemic racism to mark World Mental Health Day in 2020, featuring some of today's most exciting Black British artists.

 

Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert

Singer Will Young lived with his twin's alcoholism for 20 years. Rupert died in 2020. In this shockingly honest, moving film, Will and family speak of the pain and drama of a loved one's addiction.

 

UNTOLD: Obsessed with My Muscles

'Miles Nazaire from Made in Chelsea investigates the rising number of young people who are suffering with a little-known mental health disorder, Muscle Dysmorphia, also known as ‘Bigorexia’. Miles tells his own story of living with the condition, with symptoms including extreme disordered eating, depression, social isolation, and plastic surgery procedures to help his never-ending quest for physical perfection. He meets leading experts who explain what steps can be made to increase awareness within the medical healthcare community, as well as how to de-stigmatise the condition amongst the general public.'

 

The more we watch, the more we open the conversation around male mental health - and ultimately the more lives we save. Please share this list with friends and family and tag us @thelistgsy and @guernseymind to keep the conversation going.