MEN AND SUICIDE
Clare Wyllie, Head of Policy and Research
BACKGROUND
In 2010, Samaritans and Network Rail entered into a
five year partnership to reduce the number of suicides
on the railways by 20%
Men account for 78% of suicides on the railways
Excessive risk in men in mid-life (30, 40, 50) of low
socio-economic position.
Socio-demographic group at higher risk in general.
HIGH RISK – MEN IN MID-LIFE
Suicide is the
leading cause of
death for men aged
20-34 and 35-49.
ONS, 2014
LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC POSITION
Platt, 2011
ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS
Why are men in mid-life of low
socio-economic position excessively vulnerable to
suicide?
What should be done to reduce suicide in this group ?
APPROACH
Much suicide research is medical, psychiatric.
Vast majority (90%+) of those dying by suicide (in Western
countries) have a mental illness at time of death.
But…
Majority of people with psychiatric illness do not take their
own lives (4-5% lifetime risk).
There are clear social patterns in suicide (e.g. by age, gender,
class, etc.)
Take role mental illness as given.
Focus on social and economic context
and what it means to men in this
group.
THE EXPERTS
Dr Julie Brownlie, sociology, University of Stirling
Dr Amy Chandler, gender and self-injury, The University of
Edinburgh
Brendan Kennelly (and Sheelah Connolly), economics, National University
Ireland, Galway
Professor Rory O’Connor (with Olivia Kirtley), health psychology, University
of Stirling
Professor Jonathan Scourfield (with Rhiannon Evans and Graham Moore),
sociology and social work, Cardiff University
Synthesis: Professor Steve Platt, trustee,
health policy research, The University of Edinburgh
and Clare Wyllie, Head of Policy and Research, Samaritans
FINDINGS
Personality traits
Masculinity
Relationship breakdown
Emotional lives and social disconnectedness
Socio-economic factors
Challenges of mid-life
PERSONALITY TRAITS
Personality factors or mind-sets that increase vulnerability to suicide
Especially when interacting with other experiences like
isolation, deprivation, relationship breakdown, job loss, etc.
Social perfectionism – must meet expectations of others
Self-criticism
Brooding rumination – going over and over failures
Having no positive thoughts about the future
Thwarted belongingness – feeling you don’t belong, don’t matter to
anyone, no-one cares
Perceived burdensomeness – belief you are so incapable you are a
liability or hindrance to others
Feeling defeated and trapped
Gender…
MASCULINITY
Socially defined roles and behaviour
associated with being man/women
Masculine ‘gold standard’ – prizes power, control, invincibility
Job and providing for the family is central
Taking risks and avoiding or delaying help seeking
Alcohol – normalised, acceptable way of coping for men
Propels men towards suicide as a way of regaining control
in the face of depression/powerlessness
More extreme, violent, ‘effective’ methods– avoid shame/cowardice of
'failure’
More so for ‘working class’ masculinity –
fewer resources/avenues to demonstrate
‘manliness’
RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN
Breakups more likely to lead to suicide in men.
Men derive more benefit from marriage
Men in mid-life overwhelmingly dependent on female
partner for emotional support
Lack of social/emotional skills and relationships to fall back
on.
Expectations of control in relationships –
shame/humiliation; punish ex-partner.
More likely to be separated from children
Deterioration in economic position (esp. in lower socioeconomic groups) e.g. homelessness
EMOTIONAL LIVES AND SOCIAL
DISCONNECTION
Good to talk? Men across all social classes are reluctant to talk
about emotions
The ‘big build’ to breaking point – the cumulative (lifetime) effect of
inability to identify and express distressing emotion
Men less positive about therapy or counselling for emotional
difficulties than women. Men access formal emotional support at
crisis point
Working class men and women more likely to receive drugs rather
than talk-based therapies than more
affluent classes.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
Suicide risk increased:
The lower your position in society – occupation
(especially manual occupations), social class,
education, income, housing, etc.
Unemployment (especially for men)
Living in deprived area
Economic recession/crisis
Why?
Accumulated lifetime adverse experiences
Powerlessness, stigma, disrespect
Social exclusion (poverty plus)
Poor mental (and physical) health
CHALLENGES OF MID-LIFE
u-curve – mid-life more unhappiness and mental health problems than younger or
older groups.
Mid-life stage
– investment in work and relationships, expectation of stability and
security and less ability to recover from ‘failure’.
– problems of early years reach crisis point.
Men struggling with major changes in society
– economic: collapse of tradition masculine industries/spaces,
unemployment, recession.
– social: e.g. increase in divorce, subsequent relationships, lone
parent households, solo-living. Men more likely to live alone and
less likely to have lifelong female partner. ‘
‘Buffer’ generation – caught between traditional, austere
culture of parents and individualism of children.
CONCLUSION – MODEL
Social and economic changes mean
men’s relationships, work,
identities and sense of value have
been blown apart.
Health inequality: avoidable
difference in health and
length of life that results
from being poor and
disadvantaged.
Gender inequality: affects
men (and women) differently
because of the way society
expects them to behave.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1
Take on the challenge of tackling the gender and socioeconomic inequalities in suicide risk.
2
Suicide prevention policy and practice must take account of
men’s beliefs, concerns and context – in particular their
views of what it is to ‘be a man’.
3
Recognise that for men in mid-life, loneliness is a very
significant cause of their high risk of suicide, and enable
men to strengthen their social relationships.
RECOMMENDATIONS
4
There must be explicit links between alcohol reduction and
suicide prevention strategies; both must address the
relationships between alcohol consumption, masculinity,
deprivation and suicide.
5
Support GPs to recognise signs of distress in men, and
make sure those from deprived backgrounds have access to
a range of support, not just medication alone.
6
Provide leadership and accountability at local level, so
there is action to prevent suicide.
OVER TO YOU….
QUESTIONS?
Download the summary of the report or
the full research report from
www.samaritans.org
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
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