Far from experiencing peace and goodwill at Christmas, nearly half of men admit to feeling sad or depressed over the festive season, a study by the Samaritans has revealed.
An online survey carried out by the charity discovered 48 per cent of men say they are sad or depressed atChristmas time.
Of the 140 interviewed, around 45 per cent say they feel more worried over the festive season than at any time of year, 37 per cent admit to feeling lonely and 30 per cent are stressed and anxious.
For many men, their sadness is increased by the expectation that everyone should have a good time, with 45 per cent complaining they feel pressure from others to be happy when they are not.
Nigel, a volunteer in one of the Samaritan's 201 branches, says the charity is already starting to take calls from people feeling under pressure in the run up to Christmas.
"Christmas can be a poignant time, bringing issues people face all year round to the surface, and can leave those normally strong enough to cope, struggling to do so," he said.
"I listen to people telling me that they're alone, or that they've recently lost their partner, or that they're in huge amounts of debt.
"And it's even harder to deal with because it's Christmas and the expectation (is) that everyone is having a good time. It's so important that we're able to help these people through the festive season."
