The research was commissioned by Time to Change, a campaign set up by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in order to change public attitudes towards mental health. It discovered that a quarter of teenage boys experience mental health problems at least once a week and that 33 per cent keep the matter to themselves rather than talking about it.
The survey also found that half of teenage boys would not feel comfortable talking to their dads about their mental health.
When asked why they could not discuss issues like stress, anxiety and depression, more than a third of the teenagers questioned said it was because their fathers did not talk about their own feelings, while 31 per cent said they would not want to burden their dads.
More than 1,500 boys aged 16 to 18 took part in the survey, which aimed to uncover the extent to which teenage boys’ attitudes and behaviour towards mental health are influenced by their fathers.
Of those whose fathers had encouraged them to talk about their mental health, 70 per cent said they were comfortable about opening up to them. Virtually all the boys (98 per cent) who said they could talk to their dads about mental health said they would want to have a similarly open relationship with their own sons in the future.
“This research clearly shows us that young men are taking cues from their dads when it comes to their attitudes and behaviour towards mental health,” said Jo Loughran, interim director of Time to Change.
“We want to encourage all dads to talk more openly so that if and when their sons do develop mental health problems, they can be more supportive of them.
“If we can break the negative cycle of men feeling unable to speak out, we can create a new generation of men who no longer feel isolated, ashamed and unable to reach out for the help that they and everyone around them needs to successfully manage their mental health.”
This month, Time to Change is also appealing to all secondary schools in England to use its free campaign resources to raise awareness of mental health problems. The resources are made up of four 10-minute sessions to deliver during assembly or form time.
To find out more, go to www.time-to-change.org.uk