PR Tom Chapman is tackling the issue of male suicide by getting his customers to open up

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If you were feeling down, who would you talk to? A friend? Your GP? What about your barber? That's what one British barber wants to see after creating a collective of men's hair stylists across the country who encourage their clients to open up about their feelings in the hope of preventing suicide. The Lions Barber Collective, started by 33-year-old tattooed and bearded barber Tom Chapman, has already been instrumental in preventing 11 men from committing suicide by helping them talk about their mental health.

"We've already had some amazing success stories but there's a long way to go," says Tom. "We hope that one day there will be Lions Barber Collective members all across the globe." Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45, responsible for the deaths of 4,622 men in 2015 alone. Three times as many men as women commit suicide in the UK and five times as many in the Republic of Ireland, according to statistics from Public Health England. Research by the Samaritans finds the pressure on men to be seen as masculine as a big factor in the number of men who take their own lives.

"The way men are brought up to behave and the roles, attributes and behaviours society expects of them contributes to suicide rates," says a Samaritans spokesperson. "Men compare themselves against a masculine 'gold standard' which prizes power, control and invincibility. "When men believe they are not meeting this standard, they feel a sense of shame and defeat." Working class men are most likely to be affected, with significantly higher suicide rates among those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Tom agrees that the pressure to be seen as masculine prevents men from talking about their feelings.

"There's a lot of fear and shame for men when they talk about their feelings," he says. "Men worry that by opening up to a friend they will seem weak. "It's a damaging stigma that has been around for generations and it's not getting any better. "Recently I watched one of the girls on Love Island telling her boyfriend to stop crying and be a man." Yet a survey by the Lions Barber Collective showed 50 per cent of men would rather talk to their barber than their GP.

Common mental health disorders Fri, June 23, 2017 Common mental health disorders from anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias. Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 8 Anxiety - A feeling of uncontrollable unease such as a worry or a fear

The idea for the scheme came about after Tom's friend Alex committed suicide at the age of 27 and he was shocked to the core. "I was devastated. Just days before he'd told me he was fine." Then in 2015, Tom and a group of fellow barbers decided to create and sell a photographic book with the proceeds going to the charity Papyrus & Pieta House also known as the Centre for the Prevention of Self-harm or Suicide. "Lots of different charities were suggested but then someone mentioned suicide prevention. "Even though my friend had committed suicide, I'd never heard of the charity and it made me wonder how many people out there were suffering and not knowing where to go for help," he says.

PR Lions Barber Collective is an international group of barbers striving to help men open up

Just six weeks later the Lions Barber Collective made their first appearance at a trade show in Liverpool and in 2016 their book went on sale. FROM there the idea developed from giving money to charity to training barbers to talk to their clients about mental health. "Barbers spend about 2,000 hours a year listening to their clients. When men are having their hair cut, it's one of the few times they have an extended conversation with someone one-on-one," says Tom. "The most important thing is that it's a non-clinical and non-judgmental environment. "There's no fear of being diagnosed with anything, you're just having a chat with a mate." The barbers encourage their clients to open up about their feelings and direct them to their GP or Samaritans if they think they are in danger. "We want to bridge that gap between men and health services, to encourage them to open up in an environment in which they feel comfortable."

So far four barbers have joined the group and between them they have helped hundreds of clients. One was Paul Richards, a decorator, who came into Tom's barbershop in Torquay, Devon, when he was at his lowest ebb. "There were quite a few things that led to me becoming depressed," he explains. "My marriage broke down and my wife left me, then the business I'd built up collapsed. "I felt myself become really detached and I didn't feel like me any more. I would drive to work and cry uncontrollably in the car for no reason I could identify. "I would sit for hours just staring into nothingness, thinking of nothing and achieving nothing. It was really difficult for me as I had always been a very productive person." Paul's depression then worsened and he started to have suicidal thoughts.

PR Half of men would rather talk to their barber than their GP