Clarke Carlisle talks mental health on World Suicide Prevention Day

Clarke Carlisle says he is "in the best place he's ever been" in his battle with mental health problems, and is encouraging other men to speak out on World Suicide Prevention Day.

Former QPR and Burnley defender Carlisle has spoken frequently about his struggles with depression and his attempts in recent years to take his own life.

The 38-year-old, who earned nearly 500 appearances during his 16-year playing career, believes he is recovering well but admits there is a long way to go.

"One of the mistakes that me and my family made was thinking that I'm cured. I'm a work in progress," he told Sky Sports News.

"It's been a long year of hard intensive work and it's brought me to the best place that I've ever been as an adult. But it comes with constant vigilance."

The ex-PFA chairman now works to raise awareness about mental health in sport and says it is vital that men are more vocal and honest about their problems.

Suicide is expected to be the cause of 1.5m deaths per year worldwide by 2020, and it is the 15th largest cause of death globally.

"It's of paramount importance that you tell someone, because the power of those thoughts diminishes immediately and also you give the chance to someone to give some kind of input and support," said Carlisle.

"These charities have been doing fantastic work. What they're looked at to a greater extent now is the way that men communicate.

"Finding out how men talk in the car, in the gym, and finding out how men can communicate on a more honest level. It just takes one person to do that in a group of friends."

For more information, visit the World Suicide Prevention Day website, or our Viewer Support page's 'Feelings of distress and despair' section.