WHY ARE MEN MUCH MORE VULNERABLE TO SUICIDAL IDEATION AND/OR SUICIDE?
There are numerous reasons as to why men commit suicide at such a drastically higher rate than that of females. It is troubling to hear that male suicide rates are three times higher than females (Oliffe et al., 2016). Knowing this, it becomes critical to understand why males choose to commit suicide and to communicate to males that it is okay to talk to others about your emotions and to create better treatments for males struggling with mental illness. Suicide is a difficult topic to talk about, but I think that it is important to be open and honest in an effort to create a meaningful discussion surrounding mental illness and suicide. Suicide is largely preventable yet many of us do not understand suicide and the factors that contribute to it which can inhibit prevention efforts. Many factors contribute to male suicide such as childhood adversity, unemployment, divorce and substance misuse; but depression is arguably the highest risk factor (Oliffe, Ogrodniczuk, Bottorff, Johnson, & Hoyak, 2012). Other factors may include that males may tend to choose more lethal means of suicide, be more reluctant to seek help and use drugs and alcohol more than females do (Pirkis, Spittal, Keogh, Mousaferiadis, & Currier, 2017).
Posted below is a Ted Talk by Steph Slack in which she discusses male suicide and the importance of increasing awareness surrounding mens mental health and suicide. The video is on the more lengthy side, but it is very informative and inspirational.
Masculine ideals can render men less socially connected and supported than women, which can leave them vulnerable to social isolation – a commonly known risk factor for suicide (Oliffe et al., 2012). There are also differences in the ways that males react to stressful life events; males are more likely to withdraw and react more aggressively but the reasons that sit behind why males respond this way are typically not examined (Pirkis, et al., 2017). Another important point made by Pirkis et al. (2017) was that there is not one universally constructed masculinity rather there are numerous masculinities that can vary within and across time and place. It is important to have a base understanding of what exactly constitutes masculine gender norms prior to answering the question of why males commit suicide at such a drastically higher rate than that of females. With regard to the development of social pressure to dominant gender norms, gender role conflicts derive from gender role socialization, with Englar-Carlson (2006) stating that:
Gender role socialization (…) [is] based on assumptions that men and women learn gendered attitudes and behaviours from social environments in which cultural values, norms, and ideologies about what it means to be men and women are reinforced and modeled.
This statement examines the importance of understanding the differences between genders in terms of how we are raised and how we are taught to behave. Throughout one’s life, this socialization is constantly being reinforced through social interactions and experiences with others. Stigma is one of if not the most prominent factors that influence help-seeking behaviours and pressure to adhere to gender norms. In Möller-Leimkühler’ (2003) article on gender gaps in suicide, she notes that; “Males who opt to behave according to traditional masculinity are not able to tolerate loss of mastery and control. Thus, suicide as a stress response is a last documentation of self-control to ultimatively change the situation”. This statement reflects the idea that male’s experiences surrounding suicide and suicidal ideation differ than that of females.
With all this being said it becomes apparent that a greater understanding of the influences of dominant masculine norms has on males and their mental health. Males should not have to be afraid to express their emotions and not have to worry about the stigmatization of men's mental health. Men should not have to feel as if they are losing their masculine identity when seeking help for their symptoms. Male suicide is such a large public health issue facing our society and there are ways that we can help those who are struggling.