If the current, endless stream of depressing news is getting you down, there could be a quick lift: get yourself down to your local barber shop.

An illuminating new study has found that some restorative man-time at the barber’s not only cheers us up, but could actually be good for our mental wellbeing too.

The University College London paper, “Is having a haircut good for your mental health?” by Tamika Roper and John Barry, gives us some fascinating insights that could help how we tackle the male suicide epidemic.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, of 202 respondents, 61pc said their primary reason for visiting the hairstylist was for their hair. However, the other 39pc indicated that they were “not here for the hair”.

So what else are men getting out of their short back and sides?

First of all, fun – proving male-only banter isn’t just of the “locker-room” variety favoured by Donald Trump.