Association of high traditional masculinity and risk of suicide death: Secondary analysis of the Add Health study

This cohort study explores the association between high traditional masculinity and suicide death among US men using data from the Add Health study.  In the United States, men die by suicide at 3.5 times the rate of women.1 One driver of this gender disparity may be high traditional masculinity (HTM), a set of norms that includes […]

Influencing the conversation about masculinity and suicide: Evaluation of the Man Up multimedia campaign using twitter data

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that some dominant aspects of traditional masculinity are contributing to the high suicide rates among Australian men. We developed a three-episode documentary called Man Up, which explores the complex relationship between masculinity and suicide and encourages men to question socially imposed rules about what it means to be a man […]

Using a television documentary to prevent suicide in men and boys

Objectives: We investigated whether a documentary about masculinity and suicidality (Man Up) could raise males’ awareness of societal pressures to conform to masculine norms and influence their likelihood of connecting with their male friends and seeking help. Methods: We conducted a repeat cross-sectional survey, posting versions of the survey online before and after Man Up was screened. […]

The role of masculinity and depressive symptoms in predicting suicidal ideation in homeless men

Men’s suicide rates may be influenced by difficulties recognizing externalizing depressive symptoms in men that adhere to hegemonic masculine gender role norms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of externalizing depressive symptoms, internalizing depressive symptoms, and hegemonic masculinity in predicting the existence and severity of suicidal ideation. Homeless men (n = 94) completed […]

Men on losing a male to suicide: A gender analysis.

Although male suicide has received research attention, the gendered experiences of men bereaved by male suicide are poorly understood. Addressing this knowledge gap, we share findings drawn from a photovoice study of Canadian-based men who had lost a male friend, partner, or family member to suicide. Two categories depicting the men’s overall account of the […]

Young men, masculinities, and suicide.

Young men constitute one of the highest risk groups for suicide in most countries. This gives reason to explore how meanings attached to masculinity can be evoked and handled when a young man takes his life. In-depth interviews with 5 to 8 informants for each of 10 suicides, as well as suicide notes, were analyzed […]

Masculinity and suicidal thinking.

Purpose Males feature prominently in suicide statistics, but relatively little work has been done to date to explore whether endorsement of dominant masculinity norms heightens the risk of or is protective against suicidal thinking. This paper aimed to further knowledge in this area. Methods We used baseline data from 13,884 men (aged 18–55) in the […]

How do we improve men’s mental health via primary care? An evaluation of the Atlas Men’s Well-being Pilot Programme for stressed/distressed men.

Over three-quarters of all suicides are men (England and Wales), this is despite higher levels of anxiety and depression being reported by women. This disparity may in part be explained by atypical presentations of distress in men, and gendered issues around help-seeking. Consequently, the Atlas MenÕs Well-being Programme was designed to engage stressed/distressed men who […]

Traditional masculinity as a risk factor for suicidal ideation: Cross-sectional and prospective evidence from a study of young adults.

Traditional masculinity is hypothesized to be associated with suicidal ideation, and traditional masculinity is predicted to interact with stressors, intensifying suicidal ideation. Cross-sectional and prospective data from a study of 2,431 young adults was analyzed using hierarchical regression main effects and interaction models. Traditional masculinity was associated with suicidal ideation, second only in strength to […]

Suicidal action, emotional expression, and the performance of masculinities.

Male rates of suicide are significantly higher than female rates in Ireland and other Western countries, yet the process and detail of menÕs suicidal action is relatively unknown. This is partly due to prevailing theoretical and methodological approaches. In this area of study, macro-level, quantitative approaches predominate; and theoretical frameworks tend to adopt unitary notions […]

Understanding boys’: Thinking through boys, masculinity and suicide.

In the UK, the media are reporting increasing rates of childhood suicide, while highlighting that increasing numbers of pre-adolescent boys (in relation to girls) are diagnosed as mentally ill. In response, academic, professional and political commentators are explaining this as a consequence of gender. One way of doing this has been to apply adult defined […]

Sociological autopsy: An integrated approach to the study of suicide in men.

~

Suicide, social integration, and masculinity in the U.S. military.

Reports indicate that suicide in the U.S. military has increased significantly in recent years. This increase has been attributed to a number of factors, including more frequent deployments, more relaxed screening of recruits, combat trauma, economic difficulty amongst soldiers, and the breakdown of interpersonal relationships. In this article, we add an element that we believe […]

“You feel like you can’t live anymore”: Suicide from the perspective of Canadian men who experience depression.

~

Suicide from the perspectives of older men who experience depression: A gender analysis.

Depression can be a pathway to older menÕs suicide, yet the mechanisms by which this can occur are poorly understood. A qualitative study of 22 older men who self-identified or were formally diagnosed with depression was conducted to describe the connections between masculinity, depression, and suicide. Analyses of individual interviews revealed that cumulative losses around […]