“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 men access support is a critical component of suicide prevention. This study explores responses from 725 men, worldwide, who have attempted suicide or have had thoughts of suicide in the last year, to an open-text question about the barriers they experience to accessing professional support. Using a thematic analysis, results reveal the multifaceted barriers some men experience regarding a lack of motivation, a lack of psychological capability, and/or a lack of physical/social opportunity to access support. Findings suggest that many men have sought support but had negative experiences and that many others want help but cannot access it. Barriers include prohibitive costs and waiting times; potential costs to identity, autonomy, relationships and future life opportunities; a lack of perceived psychological capability; a lack of belief in the utility of services and a mistrust of mental health professionals. Findings suggest the importance of examining the role of male gender in male help-seeking behaviours. We suggest 23 recommendations for services and public health messaging to increase men's help-seeking behaviours.