Former world champion boxer Carl Frampton has opened up on his own mental health struggles as part of a new BBC documentary.
'Carl Frampton : Men In Crisis' explores why many people in Northern Ireland are battling with their mental wellbeing and why more men die by suicide here than any other part of the United Kingdom.
The 36-year-old was born and raised in North Belfast, an area which has the highest rates of suicide of any area in Europe.
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In the programme - made by DoubleBand Films - Frampton chats to a number of young men who have suffered mental health issues in their lives, and what can be done to help those in need.
He also reveals how he manages his own mental health, and what it was like growing up amid the Troubles
"I thought my profession made me mentally tough, but I don't think I was fully prepared for what was to come," he said.
"The men I've met in this film have shown me that all of us can have mental health issues and anyone, at any time, can be vulnerable to poor mental health.
"So, although we can't control all the things that affect us, we can control the choices we make and the people we speak to. That can make all the difference."
Frampton - who also speaks to academics including Dr Michael Duffy from Queen’s University - added: “I didn’t know what to expect when we started this film. I thought my profession made me mentally tough, but I don’t think I was fully prepared for what was to come.
“What I once felt was my weakness I now realise is my strength. The men I’ve met in this film have shown me that all of us can have mental health issues and anyone, at any time, can be vulnerable to poor mental health.
"So, although we can’t control all the things that affect us, we can control the choices we make and the people we speak to. That can make all the difference.”
Carl Frampton: Men in Crisis is on BBC iPlayer and BBC One Northern Ireland on Monday night, May 8 at 10.30pm.
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