Story

Men United Scotland is a Charitable Organisation, whose vision is: “to promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of men who are experiencing issues that are having a detrimental affect on their mental health and wellbeing by the provision of support and practical advice.” This vision is simplified with the following mission statement: we are men united, stepping together from beneath the clouds of hopelessness towards futures filled with hope. Over a third of Scottish men (37%) have experienced suicidal thoughts as a result of feeling stressed.  With two people on average dying by suicide in Scotland every day, we still have the highest rate in the UK after Northern Ireland. A survey, commissioned by YouGov, identifies the huge impact that stress can have on men across Scotland and highlights the warning signs of men’s mental ill health. Uncertainty over jobs and employment, and money worries are just some of the reasons cited as being causes of stress, with over a quarter of men surveyed reporting that not having enough money to meet basic needs was a key cause of stress. Meanwhile the impact of stress could be seen on both a physical and psychological level, with over half (53%) of those surveyed reporting that stress had an impact on sleep, while 56% reported feelings of anxiety as a result of stress in their lives. Our communities are facing a pandemic on a different scale, the tragedy of death by suicide amongst men is one that is affecting our friends, our brothers, our partners, our husbands, our Dads.  In 2020, 575 male suicides were registered in Scotland, compared to 620 in 2019. Men United exists to arrest this increasing statistic and to play its part in reversing it. We believe in a future where death by suicide is no longer an accepted norm in society.