Suicide is now the biggest killer of men in the UK under 50.

[sibelian]

Exceeding accidents, coronary heart disease and cancer.

Of the 5,981 suicides in 2012, an astonishing 4,590 (76%) were men. And yet while Britain has high-profile campaigns on, say, testicular cancer or driving safely, the biggest killer of men under 50 is not getting the attention it deserves.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/15/suicide-silence-depressed-men

[flamingdem]

1. Employment conditions play a role

and in the comments someone mentions that a mental health medical record reduces job options.

I think of American men as being less able to express emotions than the British, guess I was not correct on that.

[Bonobo]

2. Yes, but as we have been told, it is misogyny to mention that.

More women TRY to kill themselves, doncha know.

[Cali_Democrat]

4. Who told you it's misogyny to mention male suicide?

I've never heard that....

[Bonobo]

5. I posted the statistics on it and it was called deceptive and that I was a misogynist for doing so.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024553597

[betsuni]

6. I think there's a fairy tale with a Big Bad Misandrist

who goes around banging on doors demanding to be let in to tell men not to mention male suicide or she'll huff and she'll puff and she'll call him a misogynist, but the guys in straw houses are all like, no way I'm listening to you, Big Bad Misandrist, not by the hair of my chiny chin chin. And then there's a barbecue, if I remember correctly.

[sibelian]

9. Sigh.

Yes. I remember your last thread on this subject. Your main antagonist during that particular discussion seems to have departed for greener pastures, at least...

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Not ISIS?

Why bomb ISIS? There's a bigger killer out there.

[redgreenandblue]

7. So is this because sucide rates have risen or rates of other causes have fallen?

[sibelian]

10. Good question!

Looking at the stats, it's reasonable to assume that the rates of other causes of death have reduced.

From this page: http://www.mensmindsmatter.com/national-uk-male-suicide-data-1981---2011.html

...it seems that the absolute rate of suicide among males has remained roughly stable.



Female suicide rate UK, by region, 1981 - 2011




Male suicide rate UK by region, 1981 - 2011




Ratio of female to male suicide rate UK, by region, 1981 - 2011

[The2ndWheel]

8. I'm sure there are many, many reasons

Reasons within the reasons. Both cultural and biological. With 7+ billion people on this planet, some of them will just be naturally depressed. Culturally people are needed less than ever. You as an individual aren't really that important to the functioning of society. Biologically, again, people are needed less than ever. There are 7+ billion people. Europe, the US, some other places, birth rates are down. You don't need to make kids, so you have to find something to do, yet, again, you're not really needed by greater society to do a whole lot. So we end up making busy work, just to keep people occupied. Not much of a purpose there.

Then there's always the childhood trauma stuff that stays with you. Be it abuse in some form from family. Abuse in some form from other kids. The you have the illnesses, and other things that just happen in life that are hard to take.

We don't really have an answer to any of those questions, but we have medication. No answers, but you're kept alive. Even when you're not needed.

[sibelian]

11. I think what primarily concerns me

is the intersection of undeconstructed male templates enabling self-destructive thought patterns. There's this perception that men "don't ask for help", it's my suspicion that one of the main reasons they don't is because they don't expect to be taken seriously. The comments on the article seem to confirm this. If the society that's supposed to actually give the help doesn't know how to do it, why ask for help? A self-fulfilling prophecy, I'd suggest, but one that requires some kind of response. If we can reduce traffic accidents and drug overdoses below the level of the suicide rate then why isn't more being done to address the no. 1 killer?