Men, Suicide and Vulnerability

Suicide is the leading cause of death in men under the age of 45 in the UK, and men across the western world are more likely to commit suicide than women, this piece looks at the social factors behind this particularly the role of masculinity and access to services. Rates of male suicide are a common problem across the western world, and as funding for mental health services decline and male access to those services are staggeringly lower than for women, change is needed. The male suicide problem is often expressed in terms of masculinity; men are taught not to talk about their emotions as a sign of weakness and are less likely to form ‘meaningful’ relationships outside of their romantic ones. However, this only tells half of the story. I want to argue that, if this is the case, then services need to be reshaped for men to feel more comfortable when accessing them.