SPORT THE SIGNS: Movember turns empty season ticket seats into a powerful message for World Suicide Prevention Day, as research reveals over half (59%) of men don’t know how to spot the main signs of depression

• Movember has partnered with Rotherham United and Darlington F.C. – located in the two areas with the highest male suicide rates in the UK – to turn empty season ticket seats into powerful messages to remind people to check in on male friends and loved ones 
• The stunt forms part of the charity’s ‘Sport the Signs’ campaign, which aims to educate men on how to spot early signs of mental health problems – such as uncharacteristically missing a game  
• The charity made the move to heighten awareness around male mental wellbeing on World Suicide Prevention Day, after its research revealed that two thirds (65%) of men in the UK would keep it to themselves if they were struggling despite 48% saying speaking to a loved one helped with their mental health  
• However, things are improving with over two thirds (68%) of UK men believing it’s easier to talk about their mental wellbeing than it was 20 years ago  

Movember, the world’s leading men’s health charity, has turned empty season ticket seats at Rotherham United F.C. in Yorkshire and Darlington F.C. in the North East into the poignant message: ‘Where’s My Mate?’. The clubs are located in the two areas with the highest male suicide rates in the UK (North East and Yorkshire). The North East is also the region where support of local football teams is the highest in the UK, while over a third (34%) of Yorkshire residents are also supporters of their local or hometown team.

The initiative forms part of the charity’s ‘Sport the Signs’ campaign, which aims to educate men on how to spot initial signs that could warrant a supportive check-in, such as when that mate who never misses a football game, misses a game.

The charity made the stand to heighten awareness around male mental wellbeing in the lead up to World Suicide Prevention Day, after its research also revealed that an informal environment, such as at the pub, or watching a football game, is a time when most men said they’d be most comfortable checking in with a friend.

According to the charity’s data, just under half (44%) of men in the UK have suffered with their mental wellbeing, but two thirds (65%) of UK males would keep it to themselves if they were struggling despite 48% saying speaking to a loved one has helped when suffering with their mental health.

Fewer than one in four (24%) men in the UK claim to be good at opening up about their mental wellbeing to others. Men are also much less likely to open up to a friend about their mental wellbeing than women – 42% of women claim they’d open up to a close friend about their mental wellbeing, versus just 30% of men.

Additionally, over half (59%) of men wouldn’t know the signs to look out for were someone they knew in crisis, and 55% didn’t know how to reach out and start a conversation. Despite this, 59% of UK males said they would be most likely to open up face-to-face about their mental health as when people have reached out to them in the past, 57% of UK men felt supported, 56% felt cared about and 32% felt relieved.

According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), in the UK, three out of four suicides are men, and it remains the leading cause of death amongst men aged between 20 and 34.

Psychological research¹ suggests that dominant masculine stereotypes that prevent men feeling like they can’t talk openly about their feelings play a large contributing factor to this. 

This is particularly true amongst football fans, with the charity’s research indicating that almost half (48%) of individuals in this community have grappled with their mental well-being.

Through its ‘Sport the Signs’ campaign, Movember is aiming to spread awareness of the key signs that can indicate that a male friend may be in need and encourage men that if they spot a mate whose behaviour is out of character – don’t ignore it, reach out.

To equip people with the skills needed to have open and honest conversations with friends , the charity has created key resources such as ‘Spot the Signs’ to reveal the key, but often missed, signals that could indicate someone is struggling.

According to Movember, signs that ‘a bro could be feeling low’, include:

• A normally laid-back friend appears a bit on edge 
• The usual ‘group chat king’ has gone quiet 
• A football-loving or sporty friend missed a game or session 
• The sociable, party-loving friend goes quiet and no longer wants to do anything

As well as these key signs, there is also a technique called ALEC (Ask, Listen, Encourage Action, Check-In) to help equip people to reach out to loved-ones.

Howard Webb, former Premier League and FIFA referee, representative at Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) and Rotherham local is also part of the campaign: “One of the reasons we all love the game that is football is the sense of camaraderie and community it offers – whether that’s supporting a team from home or coming along and watching alongside your mates. People are often surprised when they realise that the people they see the most are those who sit or stand around them at a football game. Together with Movember we want to encourage people to reach out to those around them to help prevent them from reaching crisis point.”

Dr Zac Seidler, Global Director of Men’s Health Research from Movember said: “We believe that every football fan holds the potential to make a difference in someone’s life. With our ‘Sport the Signs’ campaign, we’re turning Rotherham United and Darlington F.C.’s stadiums into platforms of hope for World Suicide Prevention Day. Through ‘filling’ these empty seats with such a poignant message, we want to remind people that noticing the signs, reaching out and supporting one another can truly save lives.

“As the UK’s leading men’s health charity, the only goal we truly care about is to stop men dying too young, and through this landmark collaboration, we hope to equip men with the knowledge, confidence, and tools that could save another man’s life.”

For more information on Movember’s Sport the Signs campaign, and access support tools on checking in with friends, please visit https://uk.movember.com/mens-health/spot-the-signs

¹ Research referenced carried out by OnePoll between 24^th August 2023 and 29^th August 2023 amongst a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults.

Source: Movember

  Darlington F.C., Marketing, Movember, Rotherham United, UK, World Suicide Prevention Day