On the Mental Health Foundation webpages, it states that “Mental health problems affect both men and women, but not in equal measure”. Statistics on the Men’s Mental Health Forum state that 20.7% of women suffer from a common mental health problem whereas, in men, it is just over 13.2%. This reflects the common perception, poor mental health affects women more than men.
However, there is a sinister juxtaposition to this representation of the gender gap in mental health illness. Since the mid-1990s, suicide statistics show that over 75% of people who take their own life are men.
When I read these two sets of data together, my mind starts to buzz with so many questions. Is mental health illness in men seriously under diagnosed? Are mental health services failing to reach a significant target group? Men’s Health Forum states that Improving Access to Psychological Therapies data in 2015 showed that uptake of the service by men was only 36% of the total. It has been argued that a marketing approach, similar to that used in advertising, might be useful to employ to improve uptake of mental health services for both genders.
If you read the articles below, you will see that the presentation of mental ill health in men can be very different from what we expect of someone suffering from depression or anxiety. Some men will demonstrate the symptoms of crying, apathy and lethargy. However, male mental health issues can be displayed in irritability, anger and risk-taking behaviours. The latter can include alcohol and drug use and gambling. Statistics show that men are nearly 3 times more likely to become alcohol dependant and are more likely to use illegal drugs and die as a result of illegal drug usage.
The Australian Men’s Health Forum states that the Queensland Suicide Register records that most male suicides are not linked to depression. ‘With depression, for example, while nearly half of female suicides (46.5%) are linked to unipolar depression, fewer than a third of male suicides (32.8%) are associated with unipolar depression.’
The Campaign Against Living Miserably tells us that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 years of age. The group affected by the highest suicide rate in the UK is men aged 40-49. A review by The Samaritans in 2012 showed that middle-aged men in lower socio-economic groups were most at risk. To quote from the Men’s Health Forum, the report ‘pointed to the interaction of complex factors such as unemployment and economic hardship, lack of close social and family relationships, the influence of a historical culture of masculinity, personal crises such as divorce, as well as a general ‘dip’ in subjective well-being among people in their mid-years, compared with both younger and older people.’
If you access the links below you will find information and advice on how to help men to manage their mental health and get the support they need, when they need it. I want to emphasise one means of available support for suicide prevention: the Stay Alive app. This is a comprehensive tool produce by the organisation Grassroots: Preventing Suicide Together. I believe everyone should be aware of this tool so they can share it with others who need it.
Key Data: Mental Health; Statistics on mental health and men; Men’s Health Forum website
Men and Mental Health; Mental Health Foundation website
Key Statistics about Men and Mental Health; The Counselling Directory website
Mental Health Resources for Men; Health Direct Australian Government website
10 Surprising Facts About Men’s Mental Health; Australian Men’s Health Forum website
Staying Connected; Movember Australia website
Mind Quiz; mental health self-assessment tool for men on Blue Beyond website
‘How men deal with their problems’; video clip on news.com.au, article by Charis Chang
Male depression; YouTube video featuring psychologist Dr Ryan Denney, by Hattiesburg Clinic
‘Male suicide: It’s time to face the stark truth about a growing crisis’; article by Chris Hemmings on the Independent website
‘Time to Break the Silence; It’s Killing Us’ article by Paul McGregor on Huffington Post UK website
‘Why Men Chose Suicide; It’s Time to Talk About Male Suicide’; YouTube clip by same Paul McGregor. This is a personal reflection on the topic and his experience of losing his father to suicide
‘Understanding Suicide Statistics’; YouTube video by The Samaritans
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