Neil Lennon has questioned whether football managers are receiving enough mental health support as they strive to deliver results while dealing with criticism, abuse and the ever-present threat of being sacked

Neil Lennon has voiced worries regarding the mental wellbeing of today's football managers, given the "instant" and "over the top" pressure they face in their positions.

The 55 year old Dunfermline manager has questioned whether those working in management are being given adequate mental health assistance as they battle to achieve results while facing criticism, hostility and the constant possibility of dismissal.

"I do worry about managers sometimes, are they getting enough support, because they are thrown out there, we bare our soul every weekend in front of the public," the ex-Celtic and Hibernian manager told Dr Jagdish Basra on Unmasked, a podcast produced by Glasgow-based psychiatry practice Diverse Diagnostics.

"That's our livelihood, our team is a personification of us. If they do well, yeah, you get a pat on the back. If you don't do well then the abuse, the criticism comes.

"And a lot of it is wrong. A lot of it is way over the top now in this day and age. And a lot of it is instant."

Lennon, who has previously been candid about battling depression himself, feels there ought to be greater emphasis on managers' wellbeing.

The former Northern Ireland international recognised that support available to players has advanced significantly over the last 20 years, with clubs progressively offering access to counselling and psychological resources. Nevertheless, he remains unconvinced that managers are being afforded the same level of care.

"In terms of looking after manager welfare, there's not a lot up here in Scotland," Lennon said. "The League Managers Association is very good that way if you need to speak to someone or if there's counselling or if it's legal advice..

"But in terms of clubs, I think that's down to the relationship you have with your owner or your director of football or your chief executive.

"If you've got a strong bond then they might see something. You might be able to have conversations behind closed doors, privately to say 'I'm struggling here, I might need a bit of time, can you accommodate that?' or whatever.

"I think that all depends on the relationship you have with the people upstairs."

The longevity of managers in their roles seems to be shrinking with each passing season, as club owners and fans grow more impatient when results falter.

Lennon accepted that dismissal has become an inevitable part of working in football management, recalling words of wisdom from his former manager and mentor Martin O'Neill.

"When you first lose your job, you're thinking, 'oh, this is...' You want everything to be perfect, you want to have a clear run (without things going wrong)," he said.

"But Martin said to me at one stage, 'there's one thing you're guaranteed about this job, Neil, you're going to get the sack'. And then once you get the first one and you realise it's not the end of the world, life still goes on.

"What I've learned to do is find that work/life balance a lot better and that's why I'm a lot happier and more comfortable in my own skin as a manager, but that comes with experience."