The silent epidemic of male suicide

Abstract

Suicide in men has been described as a epidemic: epidemic because of its high inci- dence and substantial contribution to men's mortality, and silent be - cause of a lack of public awareness, a paucity of explanatory research, and the reluctance of men to seek help for suicide-related concerns. A statistical overview demonstrates a shockingly high rate of death by sui- cide for men compared with women, and a need to focus attention on pre- vention, screening, treatment, and service delivery. Promising lines of research include identification of clinical indicators specifically pre- dictive of male suicide and explo- ration of precipitating and predis- posing factors that distinguish male suicide and account for the sub- stantial gender disparity. Only by breaking the silence—building pub- lic awareness, refining explanato- ry frameworks, implementing pre- ventive strategies, and undertaking research—will we overcome this epidemic.