Rather than seeking support for anxiety from a GP or psychologist, many young men are calling emergency services for help when their symptoms become overwhelming.

Why do they wait to seek help?

A new study from the University of Melbourne, Ambulance Victoria and Turning Point, led by Dr Krista Fisher, has used data from the National Ambulance Surveillance System to investigate.

“Men are around half as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder compared to women,” explained Turning Point's Executive Clinical Director and one of the paper’s authors, Professor Dan Lubman. 

“Some feel pressure to be fearless and hide their emotions. Others simply don’t understand or have the language to describe anxiety symptoms,” he said.

“This has serious consequences. Our latest research shows young men are turning to ambulance services when their symptoms become overwhelming – some even think they’re having a heart attack.”

“To ensure our young men aren’t turning to emergency services with increasingly severe mental health symptoms, we need increased awareness about men’s anxiety and accessible pathways to support,” he said.

Read the article in The Conversation: Heart attack or panic attack? Why young men are calling ambulances for unmanaged anxiety

Read the journal article: Young men's anxiety presentations to Australian ambulance services

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