Middle-aged poor men 10 times more likely to die by suicide

Middle-aged men from disadvantaged backgrounds are 10 times more likely to die by suicide because they have lost their masculine pride and identity, a study found.

The report, commissioned by helpline charity Samaritans, explored the reasons for suicide, beyond mental health problems, in men aged in their 30s to 50s.

Some 525 people died from suicide in Ireland last year, up from 486 in 2010, with men accounting for 84%.

The Men and Suicide report revealed men compare themselves against a “gold standard” which measures power, control and invincibility. If they feel they are not meeting this standard, set from a previous working class generation, they feel a sense of shame, which can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Brendan Kennelly, a lecturer at NUI Galway who took part in the study, said: “The balance of the empirical evidence is that, controlling for other risk factors such as the presence of psychiatric illnesses, being unemployed, having low income, or living in a socio-economically deprived area increase the risk of dying by suicide.”

The report said men in mid- life are now part of the “buffer” generation, not sure whether to be like their older, more traditional, strong, 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.”

Lack of companionship is also reported to be a contributory factor in suicides in this group.

Suzanne Costello, director of Samaritans in Ireland, said men are often criticised for being reluctant to talk about their problems and for not seeking help.

“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,” she said.

“We also need to look at the economic and social inequalities that contribute to people wanting to take their own lives.

“Policy-makers and practitioners need to take forward our recommendations from the report as a matter of urgency.”

* For more information log on to www.samaritans.ie or call 1850 60 90 90.