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Emmerdale has been working to spark conversations about male mental health with Paddy Kirk’s current storyline, but Dominic Brunt has said male suicide rates are ‘unacceptable’.
The ITV soap has recently been tackling the issue head on as Paddy grappled with the decision of whether to take his own life.
It came after a build up of pressures, including the breakdown of his marriage and unresolved issues from the past including the death of his daughter.
While he’s now on the road to recovery after seeking help, Dominic explained that there is still a lot of work to do for people struggling across the country.
‘There was a huge sense of responsibility [taking on the storyline],’ he said when appearing on Loose Women on Friday.
‘It’s only about every decade or so that you get given the responsibility of a storyline like this.
Paddy has been struggling with his mental health on Emmerdale (Picture: ITV)
‘I remember years ago we had the Aaron coming out episode and that seemed to transcend what soaps do and it was educational and had a moral purpose.
He added: ‘I think this is on par with that and we want to show people about the subject of being a man and not talking.’
However, he said that the ‘numbers of men committing suicide is unacceptable’.
According to statistics from suicide prevention charity Andy’s Man Club, 75% of suicides were male.
Meanwhile Samaritans responds to a call for help every 10 seconds.
While Dominic said he felt lucky to have had a ‘strong mental fortitude’, he had seen how men used activities like drinking and sport as ways to ‘release’, rather than discuss their feelings.
As the front doors of the Woolpack are locked the men of the village stay behind for a late night lock-in (Picture: ITV)
His comments also came ahead of the all-male episode that will air tonight.
In it Paddy’s best friend, Marlon takes the lead in organising an gathering in the Woolpack to encourage the men to speak about their mental health.
The show’s producer Laura Shaw previously told Metro.co.uk that when they embarked on the storyline about Paddy’s depression and attempted suicide they wanted to ‘shine a light on how important it is to just talk’.
‘Inspired by listening to real stories from the charity Andy’s Man Club, we decided to have some of the men in our village come together for a very special episode which purely focuses on them and seeing them talking about whatever they are feeling or thinking,’ she said.
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‘If watching some of our most loved characters opening up to each other encourages just one person to reach out and start talking, we will be extremely thankful.’
Andy’s Man Club, whose tag line is ‘It’s ok to talk’ is a men’s suicide prevention charity which, along with Samaritans, has worked closely with Emmerdale on Paddy’s storyline.
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12.30pm on ITV.
Need support?
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
If you’re a young person, or concerned about a young person, you can also contact PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide UK. Their HOPELINK digital support platform is open 24/7, or you can call 0800 068 4141, text 07860039967 or email: [email protected] between the hours of 9am and midnight.
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Paddy has been battling with his mental health in recent months.
