The following article contains discussion of themes including suicide.
Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale will reveal Paddy Dingle's whereabouts following his disappearance.
Viewers have seen Paddy struggling with depression ever since he discovered his estranged wife Chas Dingle had an affair with the late Al Chapman.
After spending a night with former partner Mandy, Paddy disappeared from the village while Chas was on a day trip with Eve and father Bear was off meeting a woman.
In upcoming scenes, the Dingle family will grow increasingly alarmed about Paddy's condition so they agree to conduct their own private search.
Related: Emmerdale star Lisa Riley discusses the importance of Paddy's devastating story
PC Swirling soon comes round with news of a sighting of Paddy on CCTV, but the family are horrified when the PC explains they will scale back their search because it appears Paddy is not in danger.
The realisation begins to dawn on the Dingles one by one that Paddy doesn't want to be found or come home, leaving his father Bear furious.
Mandy and Chas continue their detective work and eventually figure out that Paddy has been hiding out at a guest house not too terribly far from the village.
What the two women do not realisation is that Paddy has been watching them from a distance and has no plans to return to the village.
Soap bosses confirmed this week that scenes airing in March will involve Paddy having suicidal thoughts as he struggles silently with his mental health.
Producer Laura Shaw and the writing are collaborating with suicide prevention groups Samaritans and Andy’s Man Club on these episodes.
"As soon as we started discussing this story, we knew that it was vital for us to get it right and that we needed to open up the conversation about male depression and suicide," Shaw has said.
"Paddy is usually very happy-go-lucky in life, always joking and having a laugh, but what we see is that recent events have really taken their toll. Despite him being popular and having lots of friends and family around him, Paddy starts to feel increasingly lonely, isolated and overwhelmed by his feelings, and this leads to him having some very dark thoughts.
"We've worked really closely with Samaritans and Andy's Man Club every step of the way through this story, and their incredible support and insight has helped us to shape Paddy's journey into a true reflection of what thousands of men sadly go through every year."
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
We encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Emmerdale has been working on Paddy's storyline with support from Samaritans and Andy's Man Club.
Further information about how to access support is available via the NHS, and organisations who can offer help include Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393.
Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
