Stemming the silent epidemic of male suicide

Every suicide is a tragedy and can have devastating effects on families, friends, colleagues and society. Suicide should be seen as, and addressed as, a health and gender inequality. It represents an avoidable difference in health and length of life that results from being poor and disadvantaged. Suicide affects men more, probably as a result of the way that society expects them to behave. Suicide prevention should be extended beyond its focus on individual mental health problems, to understand the social and cultural context that contributes to people feeling that they wish to die.¹