SHIFT Newsroom · England
Men and NHS talking therapies: what London’s feedback really shows
UK archive · Original report: 9 June 2025. Positive feedback from men who completed talking therapies is encouraging. It is a satisfaction finding, not a 92% cure rate.
UK archive review · 13 September 2026. Original source: 9 June 2025. This article revisits a UK development; it is not a new announcement today.
Encouraging feedback, correctly described
In June 2025, NHS London reported that 92% of male respondents who completed talking therapies felt they received the help they needed all or most of the time. It also reported that 94% felt listened to and taken seriously.
Those figures describe patient feedback from completers. They do not mean 92% of every man referred recovered, and they do not capture everyone who dropped out or never reached treatment. That distinction matters when reporting mental-health services fairly.
You can ask for help without having the perfect words
The NHS explains that adults in England can self-refer to NHS talking therapies for problems such as anxiety and depression. A formal diagnosis is not required before asking for an assessment. Most services are for people aged 18 or over, with some accepting people from 16.
If you are unsure how to describe the problem, start with what has changed in daily life and what you would like help with. That is an editorial suggestion for beginning the conversation, not a diagnostic checklist.
Check the service that covers you
London's feedback cannot establish outcomes elsewhere. Use the NHS self-referral information linked below to find the appropriate local route and ask about format, timing and assessment. Talking therapies is not a substitute for urgent crisis care.
What this means in the UK
Men in England can use the NHS talking-therapies self-referral route to ask for an assessment; other UK nations have different arrangements.
Known facts
- The London figures describe feedback from men who completed therapy, rather than a recovery rate for all referrals.