Suicide rate prompts plea for men to seek help
High levels of suicide among young men could be addressed if they sought more help for emotional health problems, it was claimed today.
Noel Richardson, author of a new report on men’s health, said long term mental and personal troubles could lead to depression and in severe cases even suicide.
Getting Inside Men’s Health surveyed 570 men in the south east of Ireland and found three quarters would either deny or remain silent about deep-seated issues.
“On the wider question of suicide we need to question how men handle emotional health issues,” Mr Richardson said.
“Many try to hide it, some stay silent and others deny it. We need to ask how men manage these problems.”
Mr Richardson said by better managing fears and feelings caused by marriage break-ups, family crises and financial worries there would be fewer long term health risks.
He said it appeared the fear and uncertainty of ‘what might be wrong’ posed a bigger threat to health, than the reality of ill-health itself.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office showed there was more than one suicide every day last year. A total 444 people died by suicide, 358 males and 86 females.
The report was launched today in Wexford to coincide with the first National Conference on Men’s Health in Ireland.
Mr Richardson, chair of the Men’s Health Forum, said the study also showed men’s reluctance to go to their GP and revealed worrying statistics on drinking habits.
Only one in five drinkers reported monitoring their own alcohol consumption, others used drink as “self medication” and many believed 25 pints per week was moderate.
Mr Richardson said men could learn from women who were much better at seeking support and dealing with feelings of loss rather than hitting the bottle.
“Men are always told to be stoic and to be strong,” Mr Richardson said. “But that doesn’t always work and with that there is the implication for men’s health.”
He also pointed out that men refused to adopt preventative measures to improve their health.
“They have no inclination to preventative health behaviour,” he said. “Women take more risks, men’s knowledge is quite poor really.
“It is symptomatic of a wider problem that men have very little awareness of health issues.”
Mr Richardson said it was really important the matter be addressed in a health consultancy at the beginning of next year.
