Summary: Compared to those with more democratic viewpoints, people who firmly adhere to traditional masculine ideas, such as suppressing feelings and valuing freedom, are more than twice as likely to commit suicide. The study identified three groups of men—Egalitarians, People, and Stoics—with Stoics being at the highest chance due to their attitudes and behaviors, particularly during mental health problems.
Because traditional approaches to psychological health frequently ignore signs of depression in this group, experts suggest targeted interventions for people with these characteristics. These findings highlight the significance of social norms in death elimination initiatives.
Important Information:
- People who adopt conventional male tendencies are twice as likely to commit suicide.
- Socrates, characterized by mental suppression and risk-taking, encounter the highest risk.
- Untreated depression, typically masked by anger or physical ailments, plays a vital role.
Origin: Swiss National Science Foundation
People kill themselves far more frequently than men. Especially vulnerable are those who want to live up to the standard masculine image of strength and independence. Prevention actions should focus more on them in future, according to a new , study  , published in , Heliyon.
Between two and four days as many males commit suicide globally, including in Switzerland. This significant difference is perhaps due to the fact that men frequently fail to recognize their chance early. But, not all people are equally at risk.
A study by a division of psychology at the University of Zurich’s research team has discovered socio-cultural factors that significantly raise the risk of death in men.
” We should regard targeted , protective measures , for this sub-group”, says team president Andreas Walther.
A long-term research in the United States involving about 10,000 younger people has already demonstrated that if they are deeply associated with traditional male tasks, they are more likely to perpetrate death over the course of 20 years.
These social norms are characterized by concepts that were born out of a formerly oppressively patriarchal social model. They set out the traits and behaviors that people may follow.
These include, for example, freedom, controlling their feelings and never showing their risk. In research, this is summarized under the name” traditional masculine ideas”.
We wanted to examine more closely the ways in which these beliefs affect the risk of death, according to Walther in our research.
The group used flyers and social media calls to recruit nearly 500 people from German-speaking nations in order to do this. The study respondents completed a number of surveys that, among other things, assessed suicidal thoughts and behaviors, along with compliance to traditional masculine ideas and symptoms of depression.
Tunnel vision is a combination of traits and behaviour.
This revealed that 13 % of the participants had already attempted suicide, that 1 in 4 had been depressed, and that 55 % had already received psychotherapy.
These large proportions, according to initial artist Lukas Eggenberger, may not be accurate. ” A analyze call of this kind tends to appeal to people who now experience , mental health problems”.
Nevertheless, this had no effect on the analysis of the information with regard to socio-cultural aspects. People were informed of the assistance available to them when their responses indicated a large potential danger.
” The study of the study showed that it is possible to separate between three groupings”, says Eggenberger.
For approximately 60 % of the members, compliance with standard male ideas did certainly play a major role. The experts described this class as Collectivists.
About 15 % of men, who were dubbed Players, exhibit a patriarchal approach as their primary manifestation of manhood. These men even care about having numerous sexual partners and being perceived as homosexual, respectively.
The final group, named Stoics by the experts, comprises about a third of the guys. They clearly comply with the standard norms—although not mostly with regard to reputation and physical success like the Players, but to factors such as controlling their emotions, inde-pendence and risk-taking, for example, driving fast or doing serious sports.
The Stoics were more than twice as likely to commit suicide as the Egalitarians, according to the results of the suicide risk questionnaire analysis. In comparison, the danger was not considerably increased for the People.
” Especially in , difficult situations , or a mental health problems, the Stoics ‘ views pose a very dangerous combination”, says Eggenberger.
” They would think something like: ‘ I ca n’t show my feelings, and I have to solve my problems myself.’ This can lead to a kind of tunnel vision, and murder occasionally seems to be the only way out, combined with the high level of risk standard of Stoics.
The study also demonstrates that traditional beliefs are not limited to the older generation only: The Stoics class was much younger than the other demographics.
Young adult is a crucial stage in the hunt for identity, according to Eggenberger, from a development theory perspective. Standard male ideologies give young men a way to establish themselves in terms of gender and to essentially belong in a club of men.
Better acknowledgment of despair for prevention
The research team suggests developing treatments that are particularly designed for the Stoics in light of the research studies. For instance, these men might be made more well-known by health professionals.
In Canada, a retrospective analysis of nearly 3, 000 deaths revealed that 60 % of the people involved had sought mental health care in the previous year.
” But, they may not have been properly understood and ended up falling through the splits,” says Walther.
He also mentions one possible explanation:” Despair often manifests in these men in bodily issues like back pain rather than traditional symptoms.” They frequently choose to communicate their negative emotions through retaliation or risky behavior rather than by talking about them.
Several studies carried out by various research groups have documented this.
Untreated depression has been proven to play a vital role in the increased , suicide , charge among men. As part of the job, the team is so likewise developing and validating a male-specific counseling for depression.
This is based on, among other things, lowering their compliance to traditional gender roles.
About this information on mental health research
Author: Andreas Walther
Source: Swiss National Science Foundation
Contact: Andreas Walther – Swiss National Science Foundation
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Start entry.
” Female’s Suicidal thoughts and behaviors and compliance to male norms: A person-centered, hidden profile strategy” by Andreas Walther et al. Heliyon
Abstract
People’s Suicidal thoughts and behaviors and compliance to male norms: A person-centered, latent account approach
Background
Four times more likely than women to die by suicide are people. People are also less likely to admit to having depressive ideas and move more quickly from thinking to test. Recent research has highlighted the importance of socialized gender norms, particularly conformity to masculine norms ( CMN), as contributing factors to men’s increased risk of having suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs ). This review aims to examine how unique CMN dimensions relate to STBs, help seeking, and depression symptoms.
Methods
Hidden profile analysis was used to identify CMN subgroups using data from an unnamed website survey of 488 cisgender men. Multigroup evaluations and structured regression analyses were used to measure differences in sociodemographic characteristics, melancholy symptoms, psychotherapy employ, and STBs.
Results
Three latent CMN subgroups were identified: Egalitarians ( 58.6 , %, characterized by overall low CMN), Players ( 16.0 , %, characterized by patriarchal beliefs, endorsement of sexual promiscuity, and heterosexual self-presentation ), and Stoics ( 25.4 , %, characterized by restrictive emotionality, self-reliance, and engagement in risky behavior ). Socrates showed a 2.32 days higher risk for a lifetime suicide attempt, younger years, stronger mood of melancholy signs, and stronger unbearability ideas.
Conclusion
The interplay between the CMN dimensions restrictive emotionality, self-reliance, and willingness to engage in risky behavior, paired with suicidal beliefs about the unbearability of emotional pain, may create a suicidogenic psychosocial system. Accepting this high-risk subset of men who adhere to prescriptive masculine norms may help with the creation of targeted intervention plans, which will ultimately lower the risk of a suicide attempt.
