June 22, 2012

expert reaction to study of suicide in young men

The second of two papers in the Lancet examined another under-investigated area of suicide research. After reviewing research published over the last decade, they found strikingly few studies distinguishing the factors which identify those young men (aged 19 – 30) at greatest risk of suicide, and very few studies determining which suicide prevention interventions are effective in young men.

Peter Baker, Chief Executive of Men’s Health Forum, said:

“It is well established that men and boys have specific mental health needs. What has been missing is how best to identify those at risk and how to improve their health. Young men in particular suffer from undiagnosed mental ill-health, leading many to take their own lives.

“Our own report ‘Delivering Male’ set out guidelines based on a very wide evidence base which do an excellent job of addressing many of the issues around men’s experience of mental distress, from how to improve men’s awareness of their mental health through to identifying and addressing male-specific symptoms.

“At a time of growing young male unemployment and economic hardship, it is particularly important to take action to tackle these issues.”

‘Suicide in young men’ by Pitman, A. et al., published in the Lancet on Friday 22nd June.