One-quarter of men fear discussing mental health at work

42 per cent fear negative comments from peers: Survey

One-quarter of men fear discussing mental health at work
28 per cent of men fear their job could be at risk if they discussed their mental health at work, according to a survey released by Movember. Shutterstock

Just over one in four Canadian men (28 per cent) fear their job could be at risk if they discussed their mental health at work, according to a survey released by Movember.

And one-third of men would be reluctant to open up about their problems in case it had a negative impact on their career, found the survey of 1,000 men.

Forty-two per cent would be worried about colleagues making negative comments behind their backs if they discussed mental health issues at work.

And 33 per cent think they could be held back from promotion at work if they mentioned a problem that they were finding it difficult to cope with.

"Although we've made great progress in starting to talk openly about how we are feeling, there are many men worried that a personal mental health challenge might be revealed, especially in the workplace," says Brendan Maher, Movember's global mental health and suicide prevention director based in Australia.

"We need to find effective ways of tackling that stigma so that men aren't discouraged from getting the help they need. In the workplace, this can start with leaders encouraging conversations about the tough stuff and reminding staff that they won't be marked down and will be supported if they are struggling."

Most men are aware of the availability of mental health days in their workplace, found the survey, and 54 per cent said they would be able to take time off work if they were struggling with their mental health or other personal issues.