4 out of 5 suicides are committed by men. This shocking statistic reveals a gender imbalance when it comes to mental health that is not being openly discussed enough.
Stormzy has recently made headlines after speaking about his battle with depression in an interview with Channel 4, receiving praise from those who believed the Grime artist’s words may help other men struggling with mental health issues. This sensitive topic soon became controversial, as Stormzy criticised NME magazine on Twitter after they included him on their front cover without his permission with the headline: “Depression. It’s Time to Talk”.
He said: “I KNOW it will help others but just imagine a personal battle of yours being published on the front of a magazine without your permission” and in a second tweet: “And for those saying @NME done this with no bad intent, they know exactly what they’re doing. They couldn’t get me on the cover so done this”.
(Photo credit: https://twitter.com/NME)
Whilst Stormzy’s frustration is completely understandable, it has brought the issue of male mental health to the forefront of the news, even if only briefly. Conversations about mental health are becoming more frequent, however they are spoken about on a very general scale and do not address social inequalities that can affect it. For example, according to the Mental Health Foundation, people from black and minority ethnic groups in the UK are more likely to be diagnosed with mental health problems, experience a poor outcome from treatment and are more likely to disengage from mental health services leading to social exclusion. Other factors such as sexuality, disability, poverty and religion are also seen to have an effect, in the sense that there are more social pressures and prejudices against people from these groups which can lead to mental health problems.
In a 2016 survey, the majority of men said that they would take time off work or get medical help for symptoms such as chest pain yet less than 1 in 5 said they would for anxiety or feeling low. In addition, whilst women are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder, this is likely due to male reluctance to seek help or open up to friends and family about mental health issues. Also, a study by R. Boreham and D. Pevalin concluded that, stereotypically, men feel like they have less of a social support system around them and thus find it more difficult to cope with the stresses of life, which can lead to more serious illnesses later on.
But the question is, why?
Whilst of course genetic and hormonal factors impact mental health, which could partially explain the difference in the statistics between genders, it is nevertheless important that society does its best to help those coping with mental health issues. Furthermore, it has not been proved that biological differences between the sexes are directly linked to differing rates of depression and anxiety.
One of the main problems when it comes to poor male mental health is the pressure of masculinity. Phrases such as “man up” or “men don’t cry” are linguistic reflections of social attitudes and stigmas which consider showing emotion as too feminine or “gay” and therefore discouraged. There is also huge pressure for men to solve problems practically rather than emotionally, to find a solution rather than discuss how you feel; this becomes a massive hindrance with something like depression, which doesn’t have an “off” switch or an easy solution.
Another aspect of toxic masculinity is the pressure to be fit and muscly, with sports stars and celebrities idolised for their six packs and sock-stuffed Calvin Kleins. Eating disorders, for example “bigorexia”, officially known as muscle dysmorphia, is more common in men than you realise. Other illnesses such as bulimia aren’t reserved for teenage girls; men can suffer from these diseases too, and the gendering of mental health issues can make them more difficult to talk about.
The solution? Work to dismantle the harmful social structures which pressurise men and women to behave and look a certain way. In other words, the social, economical and political equality of the sexes.
Many elements of society add to the overwhelming problems with mental health in the UK: poverty, homelessness, crime, racism and more. For example, men make up 95% of the prison population and an overwhelming 72% of male prisoners suffer from two or more mental disorders.
Mental health problems cannot be cured with the click of a finger and a few shifts in attitude, but making it easier for men to talk about mental health and reducing the pressures of masculinity in day to day life would be a great way to start.
The simple act of opening up to a friend or talking to someone you trust about the little issues in life will make it a lot easier to tackle more serious mental health issues if they arise.
(Photo credit: Huffington Post)
Here are some helpful numbers:
Nightline: 01179 266 266
Student Health: 0117 954 6655
Off the Record: 0808 808 9120
CALM: 0800 58 58 58