High risk or risky highs: Understanding the links between alcohol and cannabis use on the transition from suicidal ideation to attempts in Australian men

Alcohol and cannabis use are consistently associated with greater risk of suicide, particularly among men and in higher-income countries (e.g., Australia). Adult data (n = 7,464) from waves 1 and 2 of Ten to Men: The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health were used to explore whether alcohol and/or cannabis use increased the longitudinal risk of a […]

Help-seeking and barriers to service use amongst men with past-year suicidal ideation and not in contact with mental health services

Objective Men are less likely than women to engage with formal mental health services for suicidality. We describe the sources of support, barriers to service use, and coping strategies of men with past-year suicidal ideation who are not receiving formal mental health services. Method Australian men experiencing past-year suicidal ideation who also did not receive […]

Male-inclusive suicide response training program: Program evaluation report

This project collaborated with the Canadian Centre for Men and Families Vancouver to offer free Male-Inclusive Suicide Response Training Program workshops across British Columbia to mental health professionals, volunteers, and community members. These workshops aimed to enhance suicide prevention response skills within our local communities, create opportunities to destigmatize men’s mental health, and increase social […]

Exploring the association between help-seeking intentions and suicidal ideation in Australian adult men

Background: Men account for three-quarters of suicide deaths in Australia. Self-reliant masculine norms may act as barriers to men’s help-seeking and contribute to suicidal ideation. Men who seek help may be less likely to experience suicidal ideation. Aim: We evaluated the association between help-seeking intentions and suicidal ideation in Australian adult men using data from Wave 2 of […]

“I called when I was at my lowest”: Australian men’s experiences of crisis helplines

Background: Helplines are an accessible form of support for people struggling with difficulties in their lives and are key services in suicide prevention and intervention. Men’s experiences of telephone helplines are not well understood, despite high male suicide rates. Methods: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey with N = 684 Australian men (aged 17-83 years, M = 50.13) using […]

Psychological risk factors predictive of suicidal distress in men receiving a community-based brief psychological intervention

Introduction Adaptable community-based approaches for assessment and delivery of suicide prevention interventions for men experiencing suicidal crisis are needed. The lay your cards on the table (LYCT) component of the James’ Place Model is a novel therapeutic approach comprised of four sets of card variables that correspond with suicidal risk factors. This study investigated the […]

Shared perceived causes of suicide among young men and violence against young women offer potential for co-designed solutions: Intervention soft-modelling with fuzzy cognitive mapping

Violence against young women (VAW) and suicide among young men are serious concerns in Botswana and elsewhere. We examined the overlap in locally perceived causes of these two forms of violence in Botswana using the results from separate studies that used fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) to explore perceived causes of the two outcomes. FCM depicts […]

“Male suicide and barriers to accessing professional support: A qualitative thematic analysis”

Male suicide rates represent a public health crisis. In almost every country, more men die by suicide than women and suicide is a leading cause of death for men in the United States and the United Kingdom. Evidence suggests that men are less likely than women to access professional support for suicidal distress. Ensuring more […]

Transition to a first suicide attempt among young and middle-aged males with a history of suicidal thoughts: A two-year cohort study

Introduction Although many studies have examined the risk and protective factors associated with suicidal behavior, little is known about the probability of transition from suicidal thoughts to suicidal attempts and the factors that distinguish those who have suicidal thoughts from those who progress to a suicide attempt. Objectives To determine the probability and predictors of […]

“Hey Amir, How are you REALLY doing?”: Participant perspectives of a peer-based suicide prevention campaign for men

Suicide is a major public health concern and leading cause of death among men in Canada. This study reports the feasibility and acceptability of Buddy Up, a peer-based suicide prevention campaign for men. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze respondent survey questionnaires (n = 48) and individual participant interviews (n = 19) collected from campaign users. […]

A mixed-methods evaluation of the acceptability and fidelity of the James’ Place model for men experiencing suicidal crisis

Background Research supports development of informal, community-based suicide prevention interventions that can be tailored to suit men’s unmet needs. The James’ Place model (JPM) is a community-based, clinical suicide prevention intervention for men experiencing suicidal crisis. Evidence supports the efficacy of the JPM and there are plans to expand to additional sites across the UK. […]

Thoughts about dropping out of studies as warning sign for suicidal ideation and mental health problems in male university students

Despite increasing rates for suicidal ideation in university students, male students remain reluctant in reporting such thoughts. It is thus paramount to establish more easily detectable risk factors for male students. The present study examines study dropout thoughts as  potential low-threshold risk factor as well as gender-differences in established risk patterns. A total of N […]

An evaluation of the Boys Do Cry suicide prevention media campaign on Twitter: Mixed methods approach

Background: In most countries, men are more likely to die by suicide than women. Adherence to dominant masculine norms, such as being self-reliant, is linked to suicide in men in Western cultures. We created a suicide prevention media campaign, “Boys Do Cry,” designed to challenge the “self-reliance” norm and encourage help-seeking in men. A music […]

Extreme heat and suicide watch incidents among incarcerated men

Objective  To examine associations of extreme heat, solitary confinement, and an indicator of suicidal behaviors among incarcerated men in a Deep South US prison system. Design, Setting, and Participants  This longitudinal case series panel study included adult men in prisons in Louisiana, a state with one of the largest prison systems in the United States that has […]

Mental health first aid suicide prevention training for men: Protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial in Australian Men’s Sheds

Enhancing the knowledge, attitudes and supportive actions of men and their peer group is a potential pathway for reducing suicide risk in middle-aged and older men. The current study involves a cluster randomised controlled trial which will investigate the effectiveness of the Mental Health First Aid Conversations About Suicide (MHFA-CAS) course in Men’s Sheds across Australia. Men’s Sheds will […]

Recent GP consultation before death by suicide in middle-aged males: A national consecutive case series study

Background: Reducing suicide risk in middle-aged males (40-54 years) is a national priority. People have often presented to their GP within 3 months before suicide thus highlighting an opportunity for early intervention. Aim: To describe the sociodemographic characteristics and identify antecedents in middle-aged males who recently consulted a GP before dying by suicide. Design and setting: This study […]

Recent GP consultation before death by suicide in middle-aged males: A national consecutive case series study

Background Reducing suicide risk in middle-aged males (40–54 years) is a national priority. People have often presented to their GP within 3 months before suicide thus highlighting an opportunity for early intervention. Aim To describe the sociodemographic characteristics and identify antecedents in middle-aged males who recently consulted a GP before dying by suicide. Design and […]

Masculinities and suicide: Unsettling ‘talk’ as a response to suicide in men

An increasingly common way that high rates of male suicide are understood is via men’s ostensibly poorer abilities to talk about – and more generally seek help for – problems in general, and emotional problems specifically. This has led  to the development of public mental health campaigns which urge men to ‘speak up’ more often […]

Correlates of non-receipt of formal mental health services among Australian men experiencing thoughts of suicide

Background The majority of suicide deaths occur in men. Men are also less likely to receive formal mental health services prior to dying by suicide compared to women. Identifying correlates of non-receipt of services among men at risk of suicide may aid the development of tailored interventions and service pathways. Methods A total of 415 […]

Help-seeking and Man Therapy: The impact of an online suicide intervention

Introduction Suicide is a leading cause of death for men in the United States. Men traditionally have been hesitant to seek help, based on masculine norms of stoicism and self-reliance, among other factors. Man Therapy (MT) is an online suicide prevention and mental health initiative that provides promise for facilitating male help-seeking. Methods This study […]

Effectiveness of man therapy to reduce suicidal ideation and depression among working-age men: A randomized controlled trial

Objective This randomized controlled trial of the online intervention, man therapy (MT), evaluated efficacy to reduce suicidal ideation (SI) and depression among working-aged men. Method Five-hundred and fifty-four men enrolled and 421 completed all surveys. Control Condition men explored the Healthy Men Michigan (HMM) website and Intervention Condition men explored HMM and MT. Hypotheses included […]

Understanding protective factors for men at risk for suicide using the CHIME Framework: The primacy of relational connectedness

Suicide is a global problem, ranking among the leading causes of death in many countries across the world. Most people who die by suicide are “under the radar”, having never seen a mental health professional or been diagnosed with a mental illness. This article describes the protective factors for men experiencing suicidal thoughts, plans, and/or […]

Man Therapy: An innovative approach to suicide prevention for working aged men. A White paper

Suicide among Working Aged Men in the United States: Understanding the Problem Junior Seau, Kurt Cobain, Hunter S Thompson, Ernest Hemingway, and Don Cornelius were all famous and influential men whose lives were cut short by suicide. These deaths were widely covered in the media and discussed  publicly, with little understanding of how or why […]