Every minute globally, a man dies by suicide. Overall, 3 out of every 4 suicides are men. If these facts surprise you, you are not alone – but it also means that men’s mental health is still not completely taboo-free. The culprit? Silence.
Men tend to suffer in silence. Silence is the new epidemic, even in the modern age where mental health is being more talked about. Why do men choose silence with so many resources available? The reasons are many, yet the overarching theme is that of a propagated stigma associated with seeking help as a male. In this article, the terms “male” and “men” will refer to biological males; however, it’s important to keep in mind that suicide attempts by trans-men and trans-women are unfortunately even higher than those by their cis-counterparts across all demographics and experiences1 (for more information and help on transgender suicide, please visit www.translifeline.org). Most males are still socialized according to their gender’s norm – a man must be masculine, invincible, invulnerable, the breadwinner. As children, even the seemingly innocent phrase ‘don’t “cry like a girl”‘ has serious mental health implications later in men’s lives2 as boys are shamed from a young age for expressing their emotions. This emotional stoicism, combined with other factors, is continuously reinforced throughout a man’s life. Further corroborated by the false societal perception that “women = emotions” and “men = logic”, men who struggle with mental health issues like depression, anxiety and so on, are less likely to publicly admit to these struggles and are more likely to self-treat. You may have heard that there is a notable difference in substance abuse between women and men; men are consistently more likely to become dependant on alcohol and drugs and consequently, are more likely to suffer substance abuse related ailments and death3. Men are also more likely to have drunk alcohol before their suicide attempts. One can deduce that the tendency to suffer in silence coupled with a tendency to self-medicate is a lethal combination. More sobering is the fact that when men finally do choose suicide as their answer, they tend to go with more lethal means, i.e. using a gun, versus women, who tend to use nonviolent methods that may not result in death i.e. overdosing. Even when controlled for the same suicide method, men are still more likely to die. All of these statistics are strong evidence that most men still do not actively seek out mental health help, prompting many (such as the Movember Foundation) to start a conversation that has culminated in raising more global awareness about said issue. November has, thus, become the annual men’s health awareness month, amicably called “Movember” during which men are encouraged to grow moustaches as a symbol to keep the conversation going. During November, Active Minds will be ‘growing’ a moustache of our own (except by growing it, we mean pinning it while wearing a blindfold on a lovely photograph of Howie Mandel). We will be tabling throughout the month – feel free to stop by and try to pin that beautiful ‘stache on Howie’s face! We will also be giving out more information on men’s mental health as well as general resources that can be beneficial to anyone seeking help.
Mental health should be a universal concern, not bound by societal standards or gender. The lack of visibility of mental illness in men has shown to have dire consequences that have yet not been fully mitigated, as the gendered gap in suicide statistics has still remained large. Even though our understanding of gender has evolved in the last few decades, unfortunately the societal reinforcements may still be substantial enough to make men feel uncomfortable being the first ones to reach out for help. Foundations that focus on broadening societal awareness in regards to men’s health, notably the Movember Foundation, have done a wonderful job in decreasing the stigma. The Movember Foundation’s campaign called “Unmute – Ask Him” focuses directly on finding ways to take initiative in starting a conversation with men about mental health. In fact, their website has a very helpful guide about how to reach out in the most non-judgemental and attentive ways (https://ca.movember.com/mens-health/we-need-to-ask). Masculinity should also be redefined such that it no longer hinders one’s wellbeing; asking for help and expressing emotional vulnerability should be validated and normalized instead of scolded and shamed. Parents should be more aware of the potential negative outcomes of gender socialization in males as it can contribute to the ‘silent epidemic’ suffered later in life.
Movember is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about men’s invisible physical and mental health issues. Aside from growing a beard, one can also aid the effort by donating to international programs associated with the foundation (https://ca.movember.com/donate). More initiatives are crucial to remoulding the stigma associated around mental illness and subsequently, to saving more lives. However, we can all aid, beginning on a small scale, by simply reaching out and asking the ‘him’ in our lives.
1Virupaksha, H. G., Daliboyina Muralidhar, and Jayashree Ramakrishna. “Suicide and Suicidal Behavior among Transgender Persons.” Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine 38.6 (2016): 505–509. PMC. Web.
2http://www.independent.co.uk/news/telling-boys-they-are-crying-like-a-girl-could-cause-mental-health-problems-in-later-life-says-a6677306.html
3https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/mens-health.htm
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