Suicidal behaviour among men could be up to three times higher than some estimates, according to research on the work of Australia's ambulance services.

The three-year research program found that every day, ambulances around the country made on average 82 attendances to men who had either tried to take their lives or were having serious thoughts about doing so.

Researchers in the US have confirmed five well established but commonly overlooked facts about suicide in younger men.

The ground-breaking study of children and younger adults (12 to 29 years) focused on suicide deaths of LGBT young people. In the process, the study shed light on suicides among “non-LGBT” males and females.

A new study of youth suicides in the US has shed light on the high levels of suicides in LGBT communities. Key findings include the fact that the majority of LGBT people who suicide (57%) are biologically male and nearly one quarter (24%) of 12 to 14-year-olds who die by suicide are LGBT.

Health practitioners in Ballarat, Victoria, are working to set up a new health clinic to tackle a range of health and social issues impacting the men in the city.

The male suicide rate in Ballarat is twice the rate of Melbourne and 65 per cent greater than the Victorian average according to an article in The Courier.

Men with a disability should be considered a priority group when it comes to forming policy around suicide prevention, according to a group of researchers and academics at Melbourne University.

Their recommendation comes as a result of a study into male suicide, which showed that those who reported a disability were more likely to have suicidal thoughts than other men.

Could Governments do better for men and boys? The facts are compelling. Our sons are less educated than our daughters. Our brothers die younger than our sisters. Our fathers are more likely to die at work than our mothers. Our male friends are more likely to die by suicide than our female friend.

Parenthood expert, Elly Taylor, shares her thoughts on the state of dads' mental health in Australia, following her presentation at the National Men's Health Gathering. 

I was only there for a few sessions of this year's National Men's Health Gathering before my own presentation on Parenthood and Men's Wellbeing, but geez, some of it was hard going. The incidences of male suicide and domestic violence are shocking.

The Australian Men’s Health Forum (AMHF) hosted the 2018 National Men’s Health Gathering in Parramatta last week (12-14 November), attracting a diverse network of individuals and organisations committed to “working together to improve male health”.

The health sector should acknowledge the needs of separated dads, writes CEO of Parents Beyond Breakup, Pete Nicholls.

Fatherhood is one of the key life experiences that shapes men’s health. In general, being a dad is good for our health, but being a “dad in distress” can put men’s health at risk. Knowing this, I was disappointed to learn that the new National Men’s Health Strategy places so little focus on the importance of fatherhood.

By Kim O’Neill, CEO, On the Line

More than 45% of Australians aged 16-85 years have experienced a mental illness at some point in their life, yet 65 per cent of people with a diagnosable mental illness do not access treatment.¹