New data released on Time to Talk Day (6 February) reveals the London and Greater London area’s reluctance to talk about mental health, with young people disproportionately affected by the silence. A Censuswide poll, conducted as part of the initiative led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in partnership with Co-op, found that nearly half (45%) of respondents would rather avoid discussing their mental health than risk an ‘awkward’ conversation. Time to Talk Day aims to break this cycle by encouraging millions of conversations about mental health in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide.

Sadly, bottling things up is driving isolation; 35% said they have pushed friends and family away or that they have stopped socialising as a result of not talking about their mental health. And it’s making life more difficult. Nearly a fifth (18%) say not talking is causing them to struggle at school or work and 23% say keeping quiet has made their mental health worse, highlighting the importance of being open.

Generally, the main reasons people give for not speaking about their mental health were fear of burdening others with struggles (22%), feeling like no one will truly understand (22%) and being unsure of how people will react (17%).

Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation. Taking place every year, it’s a day for friends, families, communities, and workplaces to come together to talk, listen and change lives. Not having conversations can have a negative impact on all aspects of life, including jobs, relationships, friendships and health. Mind, Rethink Mental Illness and Co-op are calling on people to get comfortable talking and start a conversation, however small, about how they are really feeling. Across the UK, Time to Talk Day is delivered by See Me with SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) in Scotland, Inspire in Northern Ireland and Time to Change Wales.

Ryan Lakhan-Bunbury, 42, from London said: “At University, when I first started to experience panic attacks there wasn’t much awareness of mental health. You couldn’t speak openly about your feelings.

“Being able to name a condition like agoraphobia helps to normalise it. But I didn’t know anything about mental health problems, so I couldn’t do that. There was so much stigma associated with not feeling ‘right’ mentally, especially if you couldn’t define those feelings.

“I worried that I’d be judged if I spoke out, so I kept my problems to myself. I pretended everything was OK, but it took so much energy. So, I avoided seeing friends and withdrew from people.

“I only started opening up to close friends a few years ago. Admitting I wasn’t OK was a weight off my shoulders. It helped them to understand what I’d been going through. The more I talked the more comfortable I felt having conversations. It’s been liberating.”

Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said: “Talking about mental health isn’t always easy, and as a society, we still shy away from these conversations out of fear of being rejected. Our research shows this silence can have a real impact on our lives by creating barriers that push friends and family away, disrupt social lives, and make school or work more challenging.

“This Time to Talk Day, we have an opportunity to break this cycle. Small, everyday actions—like starting a conversation during a walk or a coffee break—can help foster understanding and create an environment where we feel comfortable to talk. Let’s lead by example, listen with empathy, and show that talking about mental health can make a real difference to individuals and our communities.”

Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and Member Participation, Co-op, said “Mental wellbeing is central to building stronger, more resilient communities, and our member-owners have told us it’s an issue they care about deeply and 25,000 members have helped shape our partnership for 2025. The research shows that people across the UK don’t want to have conversations about their mental wellbeing as they worry it would be awkward. By working together, we can normalise talking about mental wellbeing and foster a culture where everyone feels supported and connected.”