Suicide in young men – Let’s talk about it and, together, break the stigma

This past Saturday, 10 September, was #WorldSuicidePreventionDay .

Every year on this day I take a moment to sit in silence and reflect, before checking in on my two sons. That sounds like an odd thing to do or share here, especially knowing they are already in their twenties. But as the CEO of an international pharma company that focuses on brain health, I am well aware of the harsh reality here in Europe where we are losing approximately three 10 to 19-year-olds per day to suicide[1] . What’s even more shocking to me personally, 80% of all suicides among 18 to 34-year-olds were committed by men! Although women attempt suicide more often, the global suicide?rate?among men is over twice as high?as that of women[2] . As the proud father of two sons, these stats are absolutely heart-breaking to me and I cannot, or simply don’t want to imagine my sons would ever find themselves at a point where the only way out for them seems to be suicide. We simply must do more to give our boys and young men hope and raise awareness about suicide prevention!

The social stigma surrounding particularly male suicide and the often related mental health conditions is pervasive. Although we are making strides, I believe there is a clear need to reframe the conversation and that is exactly why Angelini Pharma and GAMIAN-Europe are partnering on the #BreakingSuicideStigma campaign launched earlier this month.

Mental health conditions are widely recognized as a leading risk factor for suicide with 90% of suicide victims reportedly having had a mental condition.[3] Sadly, close to three-quarters of those living with such an illness in the EU never seek professional help[4] , potentially leaving them to feel alone and powerless when they are hurting the most. The reluctance to speak about our emotions is rooted deep in us as men – our societal, dare I say outdated, stereotypes teach us that ‘boys don’t cry’; men must be strong in every sense of the way, physically, financially, and emotionally. However, isn’t it time we change that narrative? Vulnerability as a man should not be seen as a weakness. We need to let our sons, our brothers, our uncles and our friends know that it’s ok not to be ok! We all have problems and it’s important to talk about them. I often tell my sons: you can’t have a rainbow without rain! Let’s talk openly about men’s mental health and their suicidal thoughts and let’s make time to really listen. Sometimes that’s all men need. As the actor Robin Williams who, as we all learned after his tragic death was struggling with depression, said “People don’t fake depression, they fake being ok”.

Through my work, I have a front-row seat to the relentless rise in mental health disorders. Experiences of conflict, loneliness as a result of the pandemic, climate change, economic downturn – we’ve all experienced stresses of different magnitude. Growing up in an entrepreneurial environment, I understand how challenging it can be to balance the sometimes harsh business world with the more emotional side and how much courage it takes to ask for help. I am grateful to be in the fortunate position that I spearhead a company that collaborates with some of the most progressive and renowned organizations across the world to help tackle issues such as male suicide. Exploring the mental health challenges faced by young men during the pandemic and the causes behind a potential increase in suicidal thoughts in collaboration with GAMIAN-Europe will help us challenge the status quo and start breaking suicide stigma. Only by talking about it and getting to know young men’s challenges and pains will we be able to really make a step change and can reach the target set out by World Health Organization member states in the WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030 to reduce the suicide rate in countries by one third by 2030.[5] This does not mean, we should wait until and act only upon knowing one of our loved ones is struggling. We must start raising our boys knowing it’s ok to feel however they are feeling and empower them to redefine what it means for them to ‘be a man’, so that they know how to talk about whatever is on their mind, including suicide.

If you or someone you know is struggling, let’s talk about it!

[1] https://www.unicef.org/media/108121/file/SOWC-2021-Europe-regional-brief.pdf

[2] https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240026643

[3] https://www.gamian.eu/activities/other-projects/ongoing-projects-2/suicidepreventioninyoungmen/

[4] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1220983/use-professional-help-for-mental-health-in-europe/

[5] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide