Men's Health Week 2020: Why Is Suicide Rate Higher in Men? Reasons Why It is Important to Talk About Male Mental Health Stigma and Ways We Can Help

Men's mental health issues and social stigma go hand in hand in our society where they are always expected to be the stronger one. Their emotional vulnerability is often seen as cowardice because society always expects them to "man up" and "grow some b*lls". Emotions need channels to be vented out and the stigma around men's mental health has the ability to suffocate them. Just yesterday, June 14 we lost a gem to suicide. Talented Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging in his Bandra residence. The reason behind his suicide is not known BUT reaching to point in life where you see suicide as the only option happens when a lot is burdened inside a person. Sushant Singh Rajput's Suicide Shocks the World: How to Recognise a Person with Suicidal Thoughts?

Suicidal thought, major mental health issues like depression affect men in the same way as they do to women but for various reasons, men are unable to express it and the society has a lot to do with. The ecosystem that we have created doesn't pay enough heed to the struggles of men and what they go through in our daily lives. The current global data from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the rate of men committing suicide higher than women worldwide. It is seen that while women tend to experience suicidal thoughts more than men, the male population is more likely to die by suicide, they even take more lethal measures to kill themselves. Here are some reasons that may act as a contributing factor in the higher suicide rate in men and ways to deal with them:

Toxic Masculinity

One of the biggest contributing factors to men not being able to express their feelings, even when they are on the verge of committing suicide is toxic masculinity. The way men are raised it teaches them to be "strong" and that it is very weak or "womanly" to cry or talk about feelings. Both crying and talking about feeling can help people big time when it comes to having mental health issues.

Stigma

It is important to destigmatise mental health issues faced by men. The stigma around the mental wellness in men causes them to bottle up their feeling which often results in suicidal thoughts.

Mental Health Issues

Depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions are real and affect men equally. It is important to recognize that and ask for help.

Lack Of Access To Help

One of the biggest problems that men and women face is the lack of access to help from experts. It is important that the government invests more in creating an infrastructure that can be more accessible for people to reach out for help.

Unemployment

Unemployment in men is seen as another sign of weakness. Men are considered to be "bread-winner" of the family, integrating into them a compulsive need of "providing" for their family that they often beat themselves to.

Being Bullied

Men are bullied in a way dangerous ways that leave a scar on their minds for a very long time. A lot of behavioural issues that men face is due to the bullying they have been subject to as kids.

What Can Be Done

• Communication: Talking to men you know are going through some mental health issues is of prime importance. Get them to vent it all out.
• Professional Help: It is important that regular mental health check-ups are done, just the way they are done for physical health. Professionals who have the expertise to help you are the best people to look out for.
• Bear With Them: If you see your loved ones going through issues it is important to be a good listener and bear with them till when it is possible.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2017, the suicide rate for men was 3.5 times higher than it was for women. Reports also say that suicide represents half of all male violent deaths worldwide and that men over the age of 65 are at the greatest risk of taking their lives.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2020 01:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).