·         40% of British men feel their friends can open up and rely on them in times of need, despite one in three ‘feeling like a burden’ sharing their own issues

·         The annual charity drive looks to drastically reduce the near half (49%) of British men who say they have felt like they’ve got no-one to confide or open up to

·         Modern men truly cherish positive encouragement; 40% say kind words from partners can encourage them to do something new – like growing a mo’.

Despite growing movements to assist male mental health and wider, more open conversations about personal issues, it seems British men are still struggling to have those vital conversations with their male family, friends and colleagues.

As Movember gets underway and men across the country begin their momentous moustache marathon, new research from Gillette reveals the importance of these conversations and receiving positive feedback has in men’s lives.

61% of UK men say they truly cherish ‘positive feedback’ from their male friends, colleagues and family members, especially when it comes to work (22%), relationships (19%), health advice (16%) and grooming (8%).

However, 43% say they have often hidden personal issues from others, nearly half (49%) have felt they have ‘no-one to confide in’ and almost one in three (29%) would feel ‘like a burden’ opening up about how they feel to others.  Indeed 21% said they would rather suffer in silence if experiencing anxiety, depression, or stress than talk to family, friends or medical professionals, which raises to 30% when they experience suicidal thoughts.  That’s despite 34% of men thinking they do have a strong support network that they can turn to.  

There seems to exist a ‘male conversation paradox’ with these feelings of not being able to open up contrasting against the four in ten (40%) who say they’d feel confident their friends, family and colleagues could turn to them in times of need.

Which is why Movember’s call that ‘whatever you grow will save a bro’ is so important. By getting together and taking part in such a vital cause, moustachioed men will hopefully feel more confident in confiding in the other men in their lives.

This power of positivity is already evident as over a third of men (36%) say that a kind word from a partner would encourage them to do something they had been hesitant to get involved in – such as growing a mo’ – while four in ten (40%) of 16-24 year olds admit that their friends have the biggest influence on them.

And it seems that Movember and Gillette’s mission to encourage men to talk about their health is founded. With 40% saying they felt confident that their friends, family and colleagues could come to them with their personal problems.

As Movember’s official shave care partner, Gillette is proud to help spread the word, promote positive conversations and encourage men to be the best they can be by getting involved whether to fundraise and raise awareness of men’s health.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, over half of British men (56%) have personal reasons for getting involved in charity work, citing driving factors including wanting to set a good example for children (16%), a sense of personal fulfilment (28%) and making a difference in the community (23%).

Matt Thomas, Brand Manager for Gillette said: “It’s fantastic to be partnering with Movember again this year and encouraging men to support one another and raise awareness of men’s health through a great initiative.  At Gillette we continue to strive to understand the thinking of the modern man and look at how we can support them in the best possible ways. We’re thrilled to partner with Movember who help aid this support for men, whilst we as a brand encourage others to take part or donate what they can to raise awareness for these important issues”.