Together with other speakers on the topic of suicide, he spoke at a conference organized by the Hygiene Institute, dedicated to the World Suicide Prevention Day observed on September 10.
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Together with other speakers on the topic of suicidality, he spoke at a conference organized by the Hygiene Institute, dedicated to the World Suicide Prevention Day observed on September 10.
“A few thoughts after the conference, where I presented the report ‘Risk factors for male suicides’.
One thought I keep returning to is how important the relationship with the father can be for men. A study conducted by researchers at Vilnius University in Lithuania showed that men who had suicidal thoughts were less likely to have experienced a close, direct relationship with their father.
The relationship with the father can be important in shaping a man’s masculine identity – how he understands himself as a man and how adequate he feels being a man. Without enough care and affirmation from the father, the inner sense of masculinity may remain fragile. It may be harder to feel adequate and confident as a man. Then one might have to prove their masculinity more externally – through achievements, status, emotional control, and the ability to handle difficulties alone. It may be especially important to conform to some harmful masculine norms – outwardly demonstrating strength and self-confidence, even if one does not feel that way inside.
Masculine identity to me is like an inner backbone – when it is strong, a person has more inner support that helps withstand difficulties and endure life crises.
Another thought – while preparing the report, I tried to piece together a certain picture of a man at higher risk of suicide based on research. But the more I assembled it, the clearer it became that any such picture inevitably oversimplifies the very complex phenomenon of suicides. Men are different, their lives are different, so there is simply no universal portrait of a ‘suicidal man’.
When talking about suicide prevention, we often try to identify risk groups and think about how to reach them. This is important. But here I also see a danger – by learning too well how a person at risk of suicide should look, we might fail to see someone who does not fit our created picture but still suffers greatly.
And perhaps an even more important question is not only how to recognize a person approaching suicide but also how we all can create such living conditions where people would feel good living.
It seems to me that this question is still asked too rarely in suicide prevention,” shared the author of the report.
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