menshealthaustralia.net

 The Mind week 2009 report (UK)

Men's mental distress is a hidden problem. An examination of the evidence suggests that gender and the way we are socialised into different cultural norms could be having a big impact on the way men interact with mental health services. The image of the tough, resilient male who hides emotion is deeply ingrained in society and may effect men's help-seeking behaviour.

Services should consider how best to engage men in treatment and support. Our research showed that men found it easier to cope with problems by doing things like going for a walk or listening to music as opposed to asking for help through sharing and talking about their problems. When men did feel able to seek help we found that men's groups, anonymous support and online information were helpful. More research is needed into this area but our findings have implications for the kinds of talking treatments and alternatives that might be most appropriate for men.

 Men's Group - The Movie

What is it to be a man, a husband, a father, a son, a lover? Seven men from very different backgrounds meet each week to laugh, cry, have it out and come to terms with the issues in their lives. Don't miss this groundbreaking new Australian film. The DVD is now available for purchase, as are Community Screening Licences. Have a look at the latest responses from community screenings.

 Dr Elizabeth Celi discusses men's issues

 Suicidal ideation and behaviour in the aftermath of marital separation: Gender differences

The limited studies on the consequences of the separation process on suicidal behaviour seem to indicate that separated people are at increased risk of suicide. The current study aims to compare suicidality immediately after the separation among males and females, and to analyse possible differences in predictors of serious suicidal ideation.

Separated males (n=228) were at an increased risk of developing suicidality during the separation process compared to separated females (n=142), even after adjusting for age, education, employment and children with the separated partner. The psycho-social risk factors identified in the development of serious suicidal ideation were mental health problems (during the previous year), history of suicide attempts and internalised shame. For separated males, significant predictors also included lower education, separation-related shame and stress from legal negotiations, especially about property/financial issues.

The findings provide a better understanding of suicidal behaviours in the aftermath of marital or de facto separation. This knowledge could be used in the implementation of future suicide prevention strategies in people who are going through the process of a marital/de facto separation.

 GP Journal spotlights men’s health and managing trauma

The March 2009 edition of Australian Family Physician, the journal of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), features a range of articles and research focusing on men's health and managing trauma. The March 2009 edition includes the following articles...

 Separation as a suicide risk factor

Marital separation (as distinct from divorce) is rarely researched in the suicidological literature. Studies usually report on the statuses of ‘separated’ and ‘divorced’ as a combined category, possibly because demographic registries are not able to identify separation reliably. However, in most countries divorce only happens once the process of separation has settled which, in most cases, occurs a long time after the initial break-up.

The incidence of suicide associated with marital status, age and gender was determined by comparing the Queensland Suicide Register (a large dataset of all suicides in Queensland from 1994 to 2004) with the QLD population through two different census datasets: the Registered Marital Status and the Social Marital Status. These two registries permit the isolation of the variable ‘separated’ with great reliability.

During the examined period, 6062 persons died by suicide in QLD (an average of 551 cases per year), with males outnumbering females by four to one. For both males and females separation created a risk of suicide at least 4 times higher than any other marital status. The risk was particularly high for males aged 15 to 24 (RR 91.62).

This study highlights a great variation in the incidence of suicide by marital status, age and gender, which suggests that these variables should not be studied in isolation. Furthermore, particularly in younger males, separation appears to be strongly associated with the risk of suicide.