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An emotive campaign encouraging males to talk about their mental health has given a stark insight into a rarely-seen side of young men studying at the University of Bristol.

The Be ManKind campaign uses photographs to reveal the two sides to a group of young men studying at the university – the ‘normal’ selves which most people see, and a fragile side which finds it difficult, or even embarrassing, to talk about struggles with mental health.

Olivia Huxtable, a second year history student and vice president of the university squash team, launched the campaign in Bristol after two young men from her hometown of Newport, in Wales, took their own lives over the Christmas period.

“I thought I was very lucky to not know any males who suffer personally with mental health issues,” the 21-year-old said. “But when I started asking around I realised it’s just that they don’t talk about.”

Olivia appealed to men at the university to take part in her campaign, which features a portrait album of the volunteers, about half of whom are members of university sports teams. Each image shows two merged photographs of the same man, appearing to be sat side-by-side, portraying the different sides to their personalities.

(Image: Jack Willingham)

The most recognisable face among the photographs is England and Great Britain men’s rugby 7s captain Tom Mitchell, who graduated from the university in 2011, but Olivia heard from dozens of young men.

She sat down with each volunteer for 40 minutes to an hour, firstly getting to know them through casual questions, then confronting each about their experience of mental health issues.

As they spoke, photographer Jack Willingham captured the men’s reactions to produce the two halves of the photographs, which are accompanied by quotes from each, expressing their thoughts about, and experiences of, mental health.

“Some guys sat there for an hour and really opened their hearts, which I was not expecting,” Olivia said.

(Image: Jack Willingham)

“I started by getting to know them, then I started to make a special effort to look them in the eye to ask if they have dealt with or come into contact with mental health issues.

“Their demeanours would totally change. Some guys didn’t have personal experiences, they just talked more generally, but there were some guys who really opened up about their personal experiences and what helps them.”

She added: “There were the odd few comfortable talking about it, but they tended to be the people who have come out the other side and gone through treatment. You could see from what they were saying they still struggle to talk about it to people.

“For a lot it was the first time admitting that they had dealt with mental health issues and a lot of the guys were very nervous for this to go online, because family and close friends would realise they had gone through these issues.”

(Image: Jack Willingham)

Olivia began the project six weeks ago and shared the photos on Facebook on Monday, March 27, along with details of her campaign and experience working on the project. The post has already generated hundreds of likes and shares.

Posters showing images from the campaign have also been put up around the university to raise awareness.

“It was never to raise money or intended to be a big thing, it was just to get people talking around the university,” Olivia said. “If you’re walking and seeing posters with someone you recognise revealing personal information, it would encourage other guys to be a bit more open.”

The issue of mental health is extremely prominent at the University of Bristol this year, with five students – two males and three females – having taken their lives since September 2016, three of them first years.

Most recently, third year student Elsa Scaburri died at her home near Salisbury earlier this month, with the 21-year-old’s family saying she took her own life.

(Image: Jack Willingham)

Olivia said she was surprised to find, among the male sports players she spoke with, their sport society friends would be their first port of call if they faced issues with mental health, despite the stereotype of a ‘lad culture’ at universities which prevents young men in societies talking about their problems.

“Recently they have found their sports teams are their closest friends and would be the people they would confide in if they chose too,” she said. “For a lot of them sport was the main tool helping their mental health.”

For most, it was overcoming the difficulties opening up about their mental health which was the main hurdle.

Olivia said since launching her campaign she has been contacted by other people who have shown it to men in their lives as a means of revealing how common it is for males to face issues with their mental health.

(Image: Jack Willingham)

“Because of the reaction I would like to carry it on,” she said, adding how she hopes to turn Be ManKind into a community at the university, with events and fundraisers to encourage men to talk about their mental health.

See all of the photos on Facebook here, along with links and details of support services available to men.