Life insurance and men's mental health
Most men who come to us about this aren't looking for a conversation about their feelings. They're buying a house, or a baby's on the way, and there's a question on a form about mental health that they've been staring at for ten minutes. If that's you, here's the short version: it's usually far less of a problem than you think, and we'll deal with it in about five minutes without making it a thing.
The bit that puts men off applying
Plenty of men have a chapter somewhere: a rough patch after a divorce or a bereavement, a few months on antidepressants years ago, a GP appointment they've never mentioned to anyone since. Then they hit an insurance form and assume the honest answer will cost them, so they either give up or hope nobody asks.
Two things worth knowing. First, most of those histories cause far less trouble than people expect, especially where they're historic and things have been fine since. Second, being straight on the form is the only route that actually works, because non-disclosure is what causes claims to fail. Our job is making sure the honest answer is presented properly to an insurer who reads it fairly.
What insurers actually ask
- What was diagnosed or treated, and when
- How things have been recently
- Any medication, past or present, and whether it's settled
- Time off work
- Hospital admissions or any history of self-harm, where recency matters most
- Alcohol, which insurers ask everyone about and which they will look at alongside a mental health history
That last one is worth being upfront about rather than letting it ambush you: it comes up on every application, it's a normal question, and it's better handled with someone who has seen it a hundred times than alone with a form at midnight.
How it works
A few questions online, no phone call needed to start. A named adviser rings when it suits you, gets to the point, and explains where you stand. We handle the paperwork and the chasing. Most people are surprised how quick and how unremarkable the whole thing is.
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Looking for something else? Read about depression, anxiety, adhd, bipolar or women's and maternal mental health.