Men's Health Week: Innovative suicide prevention initiatives for men
By Su-Gwan Tham
In England and Wales, men are at approximately three times the risk of dying by suicide as women, and the highest rates of suicide are among men in mid-life.
At the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH), we previously looked at the factors associated with suicide in middle-aged men, and identified both childhood events such as abuse, and recent events such as the end of a relationship or financial problems. Despite the narrative that men are reluctant to ask for help, 91% of men in this age group had been in contact with front-line service or agency at some time, mainly with their GP. This suggests that primary care is a key setting for early intervention in men, and we have recently published a paper identifying common factors associated with suicide in middle-aged men that GPs should be alert to.
Since 2018, NHS England have invested funding in local areas across the country to develop suicide prevention projects, with one of the focusses being interventions specifically for men. NCISH have supported this work by providing expert knowledge and research findings and recommendations to ensure that local suicide prevention plans are evidence-based.
This programme of focussed quality improvement has resulted in many innovative initiatives to reduce suicide and improve mental wellbeing for men across all age groups, including middle-aged men. One of the key elements of much of this work has been to reach men in the places they go, rather than encouraging them to access existing services. This has included using sports to develop resilience and promote positive mental health. At men's sheds, men learn, develop and share skills alongside building social connections to reduce isolation. Other examples of outreach work include yoga, mindfulness, crafting, gardening, fishing and wildlife projects, and informal peer support groups with other men. There have been campaigns aimed at tackling stigma, encouraging men to talk about mental health and to seek help, with signposting to local and national support services. These have been promoted across multiple venues such as sporting events, barbers, pubs, petrol stations and local voluntary organisations.
Suicide prevention and mental health aid training have been delivered to people who work with men in frontline services, and in other settings such as in the farming community, workplaces, sports venues and employment, financial and housing support services. These initiatives are novel and so it is too early for formal evaluation. But local feedback indicates that men are engaging, and are positive about the support they have received.
Research by NCISH has shown that men do seek help. Colleagues in this national programme have demonstrated the many creative routes through which they are supporting men to help prevent suicide. Their work shows the breadth of ways that local communities across the country are connecting with men to help foster positive mental health and develop resilience. Suicide is preventable and services should be responsive and adapted to men’s needs.
Support from community-based initiatives play a vital and complimentary role in reaching men where they are, whether or not they are in touch with NHS services.
