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Here are the 5 social factors that shape male suicide. Download the PDF of this infographic. 

Social factors are key drivers of male suicide and should be prioritised in a developing a male suicide prevention strategy, says the Australian Men’s Health Forum.

The peak body for men’s health is calling for a gender-tailored response to reducing male suicide in Australia, where 76% of all deaths by suicide are male, six a day.

The 5 risk factors for male suicide are:

1. Relationships: The majority of men who kill themselves are either not in a relationship or recently separated. Research shows that nearly 3 in 10 male suicides are linked to separation and as many as half of all separated fathers experience thoughts of suicide.

2. Work/Unemployment. The majority of people who die by suicide are not employed and 3 in 10 suicides are associated with unemployment. Unemployed men are 2.5 x more likely to die by suicide than unemployed women and nearly 10 x more likely to die by suicide than men in employment. Common factors in work-related suicides include stress, conflict and bullying. Those in lower-skilled occupations such as manual labour, machine operators and farm workers have a higher risk of suicide than highly skilled occupations.

3. Finances: As many as 1 in 5 male suicides are linked to financial issues and male suicide is 5 times more likely to be linked to finances than female suicide. It is well established that male suicide in particular increases during economic downturns.

4. Men’s Health. Around 50% of men who die by suicide have at least one physical health issue and men with a disability are a higher risk group that are generally overlooked in suicide prevention initiatives. Mental health issues account for 2 in 3 suicides linked to a mental health diagnosis. Signs of depression in men, which are associated with 1 in 3 male suicides, are often missed by health professionals.

5. Alcohol and other drugs. According to the Australian Burden of Disease study, men account for 87% of the loss of life and health from alcohol-related suicides. Around 40% of male suicides are linked to alcohol and other drug problems, with men accounting for 4 out of 5 suicides associated with alcohol and substance abuse. Men in general are more likely to engage in risky drinking than women with more than half (54.2%) engaging in risky drinking at least once a year. Some researchers have described alcohol reduction at a population level as the most effective male suicide prevention intervention.

On Thursday September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, AMHF will publish Giving Men a Hand: The case for a male suicide prevention strategy, which outlines the case for gender-response to suicide prevention.

“Australia needs a plan that directs funding at support services designed with men in mind and gives more men a hand to get involved in preventing male suicide,” says AMHF.

DOWNLOAD 5 RISK FACTORS FOR MALE SUICIDE PDF

READ: 10 ways male suicide is different from female suicide

FURTHER READING ABOUT MALE SUICIDE IN AUSTRALIA

January 2020

Give blokes a fair chance of suicide funding says AMHF

November 2019

Putting male suicide on the PM’s agenda

September 2019

Join AMHF Suicide Prevention Network

September 2019

Dialling up the social factors that lead to male suicide

June 2019

New report reveals shocking male suicide statistics

March 2019

Research confirms 5 uncomfortable facts about young male suicide

December 2018

Preventing male suicide

September 2018

Male suicides in Australia up 10% in 2017

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