Regardless of a person’s age, education, gender or ethnicity, anyone can go missing. The reasons for this could include domestic violence, mental illness, addiction, misadventure, being a victim of a crime and even choosing to go missing to avoid personal issues, such as a family conflict.
Before 2018, more females went missing than males. In both 2018 and 2019, 57% of missing incidents of all ages in London were male and 43% were female. Prior to this, 55% of all missing incidents in London were female in 2017. Where the police have recorded mental health concerns in recent years, almost 60% of these incidents relate to males in the UK.
Missing person’s charity, Missing People, provides specialist support to people who are, or are at risk of becoming missing and the family and friends affected by this. According to their research, mental health is the main reason for adults going missing. Up to 8 in every 10 missing adults in the UK suffer with diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health issues.
When the police receive a call regarding a missing person, the call is assessed and assigned either a high, medium, low or no apparent risk category. In high risk scenarios, finding the missing person is a key priority and the immediate deployment of police resources and involvement from senior management is necessary, usually because the individual is highly vulnerable. Vulnerability in a missing person can range from being under 18, a severe mental health issue, addiction, a victim of a crime or that the public is in danger.
In 2019, 70% of missing adult males were classed as high-risk, whereas 52% of missing adult women were put into this category. According to Mental Health UK, the disparity of male adults compared to adult females in this category is due to society’s expectations about men showing their emotions and avoiding speaking up about potential mental health issues, which can make men more likely to go missing. Only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men and nearly three-quarters of missing adults in the UK are male. Although society’s expectations about males showing their emotions has always been apparent, it is clear that the situation is becoming worse over time.
In looking at the number of reported cases of missing males in London in particular, it is apparent that mental health is a primary reason for this increase. In 2019, of the missing incidents reported as vulnerable due to mental health in London, 66% were male and 34% were female.
Although there are many campaigns and organisations working to combat the stigma around male mental health, it is important to look out for the warning signs and reassure your friends and family that it is okay to ask for help and that support is out there if needed.
If you, a friend or a relative require support or wish to learn more about male mental health, contact one of the following organisations or visit their website: CALM: 0800 58 58 58; Samaritans: 116 123; Men's Health Forum: 0330 097 0654; Mind: 0300 123 3393