LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Middle-aged men from
disadvantaged backgrounds are 10 times more likely to commit
suicide, often because they have lost a sense of identity and
masculine pride, researchers said on Thursday.
In a report commissioned by the British helpline charity the
Samaritans, health experts explored why men in their 30s, 40s
and 50s are at such a substantially higher risk of ending their
own lives.
The findings suggest suicide is not simply a mental health
problem, the researchers said, but also one of men's place in
societies and of societies' inability to adapt to men's needs
when trying to deal with depression, anxiety and other problems.
"While suicide is mental health issue.... it is also a
social and health inequality issue. This is unjust and
unreasonable," said Stephen Platt, a University of Edinburgh
health policy research professor and trustee for the Samaritans,
who presented the report at a briefing in London
"The differences we are highlighting in this report.. are
not ones that any civilised society should be comfortable with."
While the report focused on Britain, the experts behind its
findings were relevant to many developed countries across the
world, especially those that have experienced a post-industrial
shift to service-driven economies
It said that men in mid-life are part of a "buffer"
generation, not sure whether to be like their older, more
traditional, silent, austere fathers or like their younger, more
progressive, individualistic sons.
"The changing nature of the labour market over the last 60
years has affected working class men," it said. "With the
decline of traditional male industries, they have lost not only
their jobs but also a source of masculine pride and identity."
The World Health Organisation estimates that every year,
almost a million people commit suicide - a rate of 16 per
100,000, or one every 40 seconds. It also estimates that for
every suicide, there are up to 20 attempted ones.
Men are more likely to commit suicide than women in almost
every country in the world, and the WHO says the main risk
factors are mental illness - primarily depression - and alcohol
abuse, as well as violence, loss, abuse and pressures from
cultural and social backgrounds.
The Samaritans study found that in Britain on average about
3,000 middle-aged men from disadvantaged backgrounds kill
themselves each year.
Platt described the findings as "shocking" said this high
risk group could no longer be ignored.
"Men are often criticised for being reluctant to talk about
their problems and for not seeking help," he said.
"With this in mind, we need to acknowledge that men are
different to women and design services to meet their needs, so
they can be more effective."
(Reporting by Kate Kelland, editing by Paul Casciato)