Male suicide prevention campaign challenges barriers to seeking help

The NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria is taking action to tackle the issue of male suicide with a new campaign launching this month.

Suicide rates in the North West are now the highest the UK, and it is the single biggest killer of men under 49.

The latest Let’s Keep Talking campaign aims to help males in the region understand that reaching out and seeking help isn’t a weakness, and that help and support is available.

Helen Parry, suicide prevention lead for Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “Around three quarters of suicides in the UK are by males. Male suicide and mental health is a big issue that can't be ignored any longer.

"It's unacceptable that so many men are dying from suicide daily, yet there is still so much stigma surrounding this subject.

“Through the Let’s Keep Talking campaign, we want to raise awareness of male suicide, reducing the stigma attached to mental health and get people talking about the issues.”

The campaign seeks to extend suicide prevention beyond its focus on individual mental health problems, to understand the social and cultural context which contributes to people feeling suicidal.

Several psychological and personality factors can contribute to the risk of suicide ideation and behaviour. For example, men may compare themselves against what is termed the masculine ‘gold standard’ - that represents the man as the breadwinner who looks after his family. When they cannot do this, some men may feel a sense of shame and defeat, which can lead them to suicide.

Similarly, unemployed people are more likely to die by suicide than those in work.

Helen continued: “Men are also not generally good about seeking formal emotional support for their problems and will often reach a crisis point before they do.

“There is also sometimes a cultural barrier that prevents men seeking help, and suicide is an issue that affects men more because of the way society expects them to behave. There are unhelpful stoic beliefs that emotional expression is weak and unmasculine.

“We need to challenge the stigma of the stoic image, so generations of males don’t continue to think this way. The hope is that in removing the stigmas, the message will go beyond just the people seeking support, to friends and family who want to be able to support their loved ones.”

Men seeking support can use the Staying Alive app or visit the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB male suicide web page.