Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T08:27:41.920Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Suicide and the reluctance of young men to use mental health services

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Shane Burke
Affiliation:
St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
Patrick McKeon
Affiliation:
St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland

Abstract

Young men are grossly over represented in Irish suicide statistics, yet this group is the least likely to use mental health services. This paper outlines why young men are reluctant to access mental health services, framing the problem in the context of risk factors for suicide such as binge drinking and social change. The paper argues that de-stigmatising mental illness and encouraging young men to seek help for emotional problems should be a priority for policymakers.

Type
Perspectives
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Amnesty International. Mental Illness: The Neglected Quarter – Children. 2003.Google Scholar
2.Health Service Executive. National Service Plan 2006.Google Scholar
3.Schmidte, Aet al. Suicide rates in the world (Update). Retrieved October 1, 2006 from www.alt.uniwuerzburg.de/IASR/suicide-rates.htmGoogle Scholar
4.Philips, MR, Li, X, Zhang, Y. Suicide rates in China, 1995-1999. The Lancet 2002; 359; 9309: 835840.Google Scholar
5.Jowett, J. Patterns of literacy in the People's Republic of China. Earth and Environmental Sc 1989; 18(4): 417427.Google ScholarPubMed
6.Wasserman, D, Cheng, Q, Jiang, G. Global suicide rates among young people aged 15-19. World Psychiatry 2005; 4(2): 114120.Google ScholarPubMed
7.Nugent, R. Youth in a Global World. Population Reference Bureau 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2006 from www.phishare.org/files/4456_YouthlnAGIobalWorld.pdfGoogle Scholar
8.Beautrais, AL. Suicide and serious suicide attempts in youth: a multiple-group comparison study. Am J Psychiatry 2003; 160: 10931099.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Aware. Suicide in Ireland: A global perspective and a national strategy. 1998.Google Scholar
10.Department of Public Health. Suicide in Ireland: A national study. 2001.Google Scholar
11.Brownhill, S, Wilhelm, K, Barclay, L, Schmied, V. Big build: hidden depression in men. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 2005; 39(10): 921931.Google ScholarPubMed
12.Farren, CK, Martin, S. Alcohol and suicide: Interim findings. Aware. 2004.Google Scholar
13.Windle, M. Suicidal behaviours and alcohol use among adolescents: A developmental psychopathology perspective. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2004; 28(1): 29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Pridemore, WA. Heavy drinking and suicide in Russia. Soc Forces 2006; 85(1): 413430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Strategic Task Force on Alcohol. Interim Report. Dublin: Department of Health and Children. 2002.Google Scholar
16.Diekstra, R. Suicide and parasuicide: A global perspective. In: Montomery, S, Goeting, NLM (Eds). Current approaches: Suicide and attempted suicide – risk factors, management and prevention. Southampton: Duphar Laboratories, 1991.Google Scholar
17.Bedford, D, O'Farell, A, Howell, F. Blood alcohol levels of persons who died from accidents and suicide. IMJ 2006; 99(3): 8083.Google ScholarPubMed
18.Patten, SB, Charney, DA. Alcohol consumption and major depression in the Canadian population. Can J Psychiatry 1998; 43: 502506.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Kelder, SH et a;. Depression and substance use in minority middle school students. Am J Public Health 2001; 91(5): 761766.Google ScholarPubMed
20.Department of Health and Children. Working Group on treatment of under 18 year olds presenting to treatment services with serious drug problems. 2004.Google Scholar
21.O'Connor, J. Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy: A Vision for Change. Dublin: Stationary Office 2006.Google Scholar
22.Health Service Executive. Reach Out. 2005.Google Scholar
23.McKeon, P. Public attitudes to depression: A national survey. AWARE, 1999.Google Scholar
24.Donald, M, Dower, J, Lucke, J, Raphael, B. The Queensland young peoples' mental health survey report. Centre for Primary Health Care, School of Populations Health and Department of Psychiatry; University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia 2000.Google Scholar
25.Davies, Jet al.Identifying male college students' perceived health needs, barriers to seeking help, and recommendations to help men adopt healthier lifestyles. J Am Coll Health 2000; 48: 259267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Wilson, CJ, Rickwood, D, Ciarrochi, J, Deane, F. Adolescent barriers to seeking professional psychological help for personal-emotional and suicidal problems. Conference Proceedings of the 9th Annual Conference for Suicide Prevention Australia 2002.Google Scholar
27.Barney, U, Griffiths, KM, Jorm, AF, Christensen, H. Stigma about depression and its impact on help-seeking intentions. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 2006; 40: 51–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28.Burke, S, Kerr, R, McKeon, P. Male secondary school student's attitudes towards using mental health services. Submitted 2006.Google Scholar
29.Cherry, M, Cournoyer, RJ, Defranc, W, Mahalik, JR, Napolitano, JM. Men's gender role conflict and use of psychological defenses. J Couns Psychol 1998; 45: 247255.Google Scholar
30.Prior, PM. Gender and mental health. London: Macmillan 1999.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31.Zamarripa, MX, Wampold, BE, Gregory, E. Male gender role conflict, depression and anxiety: Clarification and generalizability to women. J Couns Psychol 2003; 50(3): 333338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32.Leverenz, D. Manhood and the American renaissance. Ithaca: Cornell University Press 1989.Google Scholar
33.O'Neill, J. Patterns of gender role conflict and strain: Sexism and fear of femininity in men's lives. Pers Guid J 1981; 203210.Google Scholar
34.Richardson, N. Getting inside men's health. Health Promotion Department, South Eastern Health Board, 2004.Google Scholar
35.Gavigan, P, Carr, A, McKeon, P. Urban public attitudes to the treatment of psychological problems and depression in general practice. Ir Med J 2000; 93(7): 200202.Google Scholar
36.Timlin-Scalera, RM, Ponterotto, JG, Blumberg, FC, Jackson, MA. A grounded theory study of help-seeking behaviours among white male high school students. J Couns Psychol 2003; 50(3): 339350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37.Cleary, A, Young men on the margins: suicidal behaviour amongst young men. The Katharine Howard Foundation 2005.Google Scholar
38.Kilmartin, CT. The Masculine Self. New York: Macmillan 1994.Google Scholar
39.Heifner, C. The male experience of depression. Perspect Psychiatr Care 1996; 33(3); 1018.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
40.McKeon, P, Carrick, S. Public attitudes to depression: a national survey. Ir J Psychol Med 1991;8:116121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
41.Begley, M, Chambers, D, Corcoran, P, Gallagher, J. The male perspective: Young men's outlook on life. Suicide Prevention Office: The National Suicide Research Foundation 2003.Google Scholar
42.World Health Organisation. Working with Adolescent Boys: Report of a workshop. 1999. Retrieved September 26 from www.who.int/child-adolescenthealth/New_Publications/ADH/Boys_Report/WHO_FCH_CAH_00.9.htmGoogle Scholar
43.Durkheim, E. Suicide: A study in sociology. 1987Google Scholar
44.Sainsbury, P, Jenkins, J, Levey, A. The social correlates of suicide in Europe. In: Farmer, R, Hirsch, S (Eds.). The suicide syndrome. London: Croom Helm. 1980: 3853.Google Scholar
45.Mackinen, IH. Effect on suicide rate of having reduced unemployment is uncertain. BMJ 1999; 318(7188): 941.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
46.Chan, KP, Hung, SF, Yip, PS. Suicide in response to changing societies. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2001; 10(4): 777–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
47.Kelleher, MJ, Daly, M. Suicide in Cork and Ireland. Br J Psychiatry 1990; 157: 533538.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
48.Lester, D. Adolescent suicide from an international perspective. Am Behav Sci 2003; 46: 11571170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
49.Gunnell, D, Middleton, N, Whitley, E, Dorling, D, Frankel, S. Why are suicide rates rising in young men but falling in the elderly? – a time series analysis of trends in England and Wales 1950-1998. Soc Sci Med 2003; 57; 595611.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
50.Central Statistics Office. 2006. Births, Deaths and Marriages. Retrieved October 15, 2006 from www.cso.ie/statistics/bthsdthsmarriages.htmGoogle Scholar
51.McKeown, K, Sweeney, J. Family well-being and family policy: a review on benefits and costs 2001. Retrieved October 18, 2006 from www.parentalequality.ie/pe_resources/pdf/famrev.pdfGoogle Scholar
52.Kirby, P. The Celtic Tiger in Distress. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
53.Hennessy, E, Heary, A. Children's understanding of ADHD: Perceptions of causes and interventions', presented at the 17th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development; August 2002; Ottawa, Canada.Google Scholar
54.Keeley, HS, Kelleher, MJ. Youth attitudes to services in Ireland. Psychiatr Bull R Coll Psychiatr 1998; 22(4): 257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
55.National Suicide Research Foundation. Young People's Mental Health. 2004.Google Scholar
56.Department of Health and Children. A Vision for Change. 2006.Google Scholar
57.The World Health Organisation. Mental Health: New Understanding. New Hope. 2001.Google Scholar
58.Amnesty International. Mental Illness: The Neglected Quarter. 2003.Google Scholar
59.ORYGEN Youth Health. 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2006 from www.orygen.org.auGoogle Scholar
60.Mental Health Europe. 2002. Mental Health Promotion of Adolescents and Young People. Retrieved October 10, 2006 from www.mhesme.org/files/Directory%20Mental%20Health%20Promotion%20of%20Adolescents%204Young%20People.pdfGoogle Scholar
61.Hickie, IB. Reducing the burden of depression: are we making progress in Australia? Med J Aust 181(7): S4S5.Google Scholar
62.Social, Personal and Health Education. 2006. Retrieved October 5, 2006 from www.sphe.ieGoogle Scholar
63.Beat the Blues. Aware 2006. Retrieved November 5, 2006 from www.aware.ie/online%20books/btb.htmlGoogle Scholar
64.Mental Health Commission. Annual Report. 2002.Google Scholar
65.McKeon, P, Mynett-Johnson, L, Claffey, E. Prevalence of Depressive Illness in Ireland: A National Survey. Aware 1993.Google Scholar
66.McKeon, P, McLoughlin, D, Carrick, S. Employees' Attitude to Depression: What they tell their boss. Abstract proceedings to World Federation of Mental Health, World Congress 1995.Google Scholar
67.Ballon, D. Should I tell the boss? Disclosing a psychiatric condition in the workplace. J Addict Ment Hith 2001; 4(1): 13.Google Scholar