Sometimes the Pressure for Guys is Too Much

In a recent BBC film, Roman Kemp explored how mental health problems can be related to ideas about masculinity.  He understands that the causes of suicide are always complex and never related to one single issue.

However, he states, “No matter what, there is still an idea that the man is the breadwinner of the family. The man is the person that has to have a family, has to find the ‘perfect person’ and be happy with them, have kids and help them financially …  And sometimes that pressure for guys is too much.”

Add to that, the pandemic – and the financial toll that comes with it.  Roman states that Covid has an impact as well.

“The pandemic has just accelerated everything,” he says. “It’s accelerated people’s depression, anxiety, fears. We’re living in a world now where it’s literally like ‘fear porn’ – how can the world be scared next?”

“And for someone who is already going through something mentally, when you start hearing about job losses, people not even being able to put food on the plate for their family, that’s a serious thing that – especially for guys – is a tough, tough thing to take.”

Roman stated that guys suffer hugely with thinking they’re not where they should be in their life.  They feel they can’t take a pause for themselves.

Roman visited organizations across the UK that are trying to help young men struggling with mental illnesses, like an emergency street triage team in Nottingham who dispatch mental health workers to people in crisis and a charity called Lighthouse, in Belfast, that helps boys and young men who’ve been affected by suicide.

“You’ve got light at the end of the tunnel in terms of groups and charities starting to make this movement happen,” he says.

But Roman also believes the government needs to take mental health issues more seriously.

“Not enough is being done,” he says. “To not have the support in place for kids, in my opinion, is disgraceful. There’s not enough budget there. There’s not enough onus put on it.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/13c2fd0b-2a24-4afa-aff5-48f4249df784

It is often very challenging for men to talk about their experiences and seek support. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. 

Governments everywhere, need to pause, listen, and put our hard-earned money toward helping those who suffer from mental health issues.

According to the AFSP for 2019, Global  

• An estimated 703,000 people die by suicide worldwide each year.
• Over half (58%) of all deaths by suicide occur before the age of 50 years old.
• The suicide rate is over twice as high among men than women.
• An individual suffering with depression is twenty times more likely to die by suicide than someone without the disorder.

According to the AFSP for 2019, in the US:

• The age-adjusted suicide rate in 2019 was 13.93 per 100,000 individuals.
• In 2019, men died by suicide 3.63x as often as women.
• White males accounted for 69.38% of suicide deaths in 2019.
• On average, there are 130 suicides per day.

https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/