Poet Hussain Manawer has released a short film about loneliness and mental health to coincide with “Blue Monday”.

The third Monday of January is often labelled as the most depressing day of the year thanks to factors including fading Christmas memories, the impact of the festive period on personal finances and abandoned new year resolutions.

His film Lonely aims to encourage people to seek help to overcome feelings of solitude, as well as mental health issues in men.

Barnardo’s Kidsmas Live virtual concert
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Manawer said: “At times people may think that they are the only person experiencing an issue, when really there are hundreds, even thousands, of people experiencing exactly the same thing.

“But we get so caught up in our lives, that we forget to check up on each other.”

He added that approaching the issue of mental health and suicide from the male perspective “will hopefully open up important conversations”.

“Speaking about feeling of loneliness, the film focusses on starting the conversation on mental health issues with family, friends and trusted people,” he said.

His film will be available on YouTube on Monday.