Mental Health

Perhaps the most important issue that is currently facing men in Britain, has to be mental health.

In the UK alone “Men are 3 to 4 times more likely to die by suicide than women.”

It is widely believed this is down to a number of a factors, including the personality, characteristic and behavioural pressures that are applied from the stereotypes we have looked at on the previous page.

However, the single biggest issue, is that there is a stigma surrounding Male Masculinity. Meaning many men simply don’t feel like they can open up or talk about their feelings, for fear of being judged and seen as less of a man.

This is especially prevalent in middle aged and older men, which is why there is also a direct correlation between this age group being the one that has the highest suicide rate in the United Kingdom.

Image from Samaritans Website

Why is this statistic and data so important?

Well bluntly, behind all the data and every single one of those entries, there was a human life, and now there is a loss, a grieving family, and a devastating hole in the lives of their friends, family and loved ones. So, by using this data, organisations such as Samaritans and the Government can try to find the best response for each age group, and as to what more can be done to continue to help and try and save lives.

What are the key factors that drive people towards suicide?

The main factors tend to be:

Academic pressures – (Particularly common in younger people)

Bullying – (Again common in younger generations)

Finance – (Struggling to pay bills and lack of money to live with, often causes severe mental stress)

Internet related Deaths – (This is primarily linked to internet addiction, and social media pressures, as well as online bullying)

Loss of Interest in Life – (More common in middle aged people, as they may hate their jobs, routines and life, leading to every day becoming mundane and eventually to depression and other mental health related illnesses.)

While all of these and many more are often the catalysts, they are not what eventually drives people to ending their own life. Instead, it is what comes next, as mental health issues such as depression set in and start to take over.

This is then where the biggest cause of male suicide lies, as here many men do not feel as if they can get help! They feel as though they cannot share their problems, or turn to others, partly due to the stigma that surrounds males and how their masculinity demands that real men can and should deal with it alone.

But the grim figures above, are the only evidence needed, to showcase that this is not the case.

Modern Day Men In Britain spoke to 100 different men, from all ages and walks of life. In order to find out how they felt on the topic of male masculinity and the stigma that surrounds it, here are the results:

60%

40%

92%

8%

Do you feel comfortable talking about your issues with others?

Do you believe there is a

stigma surrounding men talking about their feelings?

- Yes

- No

- Yes

- No

100%

Yes

Do you believe that more needs to be done to help men feel more comfortable about discussing their feelings and seeking help?

The figures show that out of the one hundred men we spoke too, 40% do not feel comfortable sharing or talking about their feelings and problems with others. This is a startling figure, and certainly a stark reminder of how masculinity can be an issue for so many men.

Similarly, 92% of the men believed that there is a very real stigma surrounding men speaking up. Now while 8% disagreed and felt that in todays age there wasn’t a stigma and men are actively being encouraged to share their feelings and emotions. They did still admit that they themselves found it hard to express their emotions at times, partly down to there upbringings as opposed to the current climate.

This was the most interesting part, as it shows that despite the continued efforts of helping to support men and reduce this stigma of masculinity means no emotions. Because of how some members of the older generations were raised, they struggle to adapt and even with the support becoming more readily available, they still find it hard to reach out due to essentially what has been engrained into their ways of life.

This is exactly why for the final figure, 100% of the men agreed that more still needs to be done to help aid men!

The big question though, is how do you help those who are reluctant to come forward and seek the help they might need. Especially as it can be argued that the support is already there if they wanted it.

Sadly, that is one of the biggest issues facing mental health support in general. But for now all that can keep happening, is to continue to push the conversation in the right direction, and to continue to break down the barriers surrounding masculinity, to show that it is okay to get help.

One of Samaritans latest campaigns, is doing exactly that. By encouraging men who have been in these situations before, to let others know how important talking and getting help can be.

Speaking about the new campaign, Paul McDonald, Executive Director of External Affairs at Samaritans, said:

“We didn’t want to create just another awareness campaign. We wanted something authentic and emotive from men who have been through tough times, sharing their really powerful, positive and hopeful stories to encourage other men to seek help before they reach crisis point."

Samaritans are hopeful that this and many other campaigns can continue to show and help men realise that being a man, doesn't mean suffering alone.