'We've struggled with grief – now we help men talk'

Two men who struggled to cope after losing close friends have set up a "talking club" aimed at tackling male depression, loneliness and suicide.

Adam Cueto, 33, and Junior Borg, 39, both from Newport, have faced severe mental health struggles linked to their experiences - Junior had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) having witnessed his friend die, and Adam attempted suicide.

"I felt there wasn't enough being done regarding mental health and men, and it's something I've struggled with myself so I wanted to help others," Adam said.

The club currently meets once a month in Newport, where men talk about their experiences - or listen.

The Welsh government said it was "working to improve the quality and safety" of mental health services and that its long-term approach was on prevention and early intervention.

Adam's best friend, Daniel Marsh, died in an accidental shooting incident in 2007.

After this, he admitted going "off the rails", bottling up his feelings and falling into drug addiction.

"I was only thinking about myself. I wasn't thinking about what his mum and his sister and his family were going through," he said.

His mental health got so bad that at one point he attempted suicide.

Over the past decade, the suicide rate has been higher in Wales than England, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows.

In 2023, Wales had the third highest rate of suicide when comparing the country with the English regions - 14.0 per 100,000 people, behind north-east and north-west England.

Men are also three times more likely to die by suicide than women.

Junior also struggled after his friend Lemy Bullock was murdered in front of him in March 2005.

"He pretty much died in my arms," Junior said, adding that he has suffered with PTSD and depression for 20 years, and that, like Adam, he often bottled it up.

"But it got worse and worse – it became uncontrollable. My sleeping got worse and I had nightmares for 20 years," he said.

Junior tried to get treatment for what he was going through, but said there was not enough support available for mental health.

Adam started the club, with Junior supporting, after three men they knew took their lives in just over a year.

They now meet once a month at Pill Harriers Sports Club in Newport.

The first session, held last year, attracted about 30 people, ranging from those in their late teens to others in their 60s.

"Many people started opening up and talking about some of the issues they'd dealt with, and it went from those who had been struggling for a few years, to some for as long as 20 to 25 years," Junior said.

The range of issues also varied, from those tackling alcohol and drug addiction, to others who had witnessed something traumatic when they were younger.

Adam believes the club is popular because it gives men an opportunity to open up.

"We're often told that men need to man up - stiff upper lip and all that - but that's the biggest lie we've been told," he said.

"I've tried to bottle it up and it hasn't worked for me, and I know that's the case for so many others."

Junior, who is a boxing coach, said he has had a number of conversations with men who are struggling, including with a boxing fan he spoke to for an hour.

"He left feeling much better, and then I had a conversation with his mum the next day and she said that he just needed someone to talk to and felt much better afterwards," he said.

"That happens quite often."

Junior believes the power of the club lies in the ability for men to talk.

"Men aren't really supposed to open up. I'm 39 and I suffer with nightmares – it's just not something men are supposed to talk about," he said.

"My message for anyone going through anything similar would be to not hide your feelings. Don't keep it to yourself."

A Welsh government spokesperson said it had invested £2m to drive improvements in mental health, while it was also developing "better access to mental health support".

"Our long-term approach is to reduce the need for specialist services through prevention and earlier intervention," they added.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.