“I was not hurting anyone. Except me.”

He said the group started with just a few men in his southern Sydney community of Kiama, and grew “by accident”, becoming increasingly popular.

“My personal motivation in life is to make, as I say to myself, make my mum and dad proud, who I lost many years ago, dad in a car accident and mum with cancer. That’s a sort of personal driver for me,” Burns said.

A ‘loneliness crisis’

While one in three regional or rural men felt isolated due to their remoteness.

At least 47 per cent of respondents reported they were grappling with general stress or anxiety, according to the Men Do Talk 2025 survey. Source: SBS News

The research was compiled by Mentoring Men, which pairs male mentees with typically older mentors for free peer support and conversations.

Despite the availability of support services and groups, many are unaware of them or simply don’t ask for help.

One in four men struggling with mental health search online, and one in three lean on their mates for support, according to the Men Do Talk 2025 survey. Source: SBS News

At least 42 per cent try to “push through” on their own when dealing with their personal challenges, the Mentoring Men research showed.

Research from Charles Sturt University estimates men are 50 per cent more likely to experience “persistent isolation” compared with women.

‘Significant’ costs to public health

“They might be staying unwell for longer periods of time, having increased visits to the GP or staying at hospitals for longer.”