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- 13 - accessHealthNews.net September 2022 Volume 8 | Issue No. 61 T he webinar covered in this article was presented to clinicians and medical personnel. The duties and responsibilities discussed here do not apply equally to nonmedical people. Before becoming a support for a suicidal person, establish boundaries around how you will support them and secure support for yourself, especially if you are alone in supporting them. If someone threatens suicide or self harm to get you to comply with their instructions or desires, seek help immediately. In a recent HRSA webinar, Joe Hyde, LMHC, CAS, spoke about understanding, managing, and treating suicidality in men. Although suicide has gradually lost some tabboo as a topic, cultural biases about men and emotions stunted conversation about men's mental health to the point of creating a lethal lag in in the improvement of men's mental health. Clinicians are often the first line of defense in catching and treating mental health crises in men. "A patient's ambivalent thoughts about dying are an opportunity for you to save a life," Hyde said. The facts around suicide and men paint a stark picture. Men are less likely to seek help for mental health, regardless of age, nationality, or race, and just half as likely to seek help for depression or anxiety. At the same time, men account for 75% of suicide deaths in the U.S. Although this data can make it seem as though men account for just a third of mental health crises and a disproportionate 75% of suicide deaths, the disparity largely lies in the number of men with poor mental health and the number of men seeking mental health care. Just as in how men are much less likely to seek preventative care, masculine gender norms demanding that men be pillars of unwavering strength impede men's ability to accept and seek help for mental health problems. Consequently, mental health issues in men are underdiagnosed and often overlooked by both patient and provider. Instead, men are more likely to seek help for external symptoms of internal illness, such as anger management or alcoholism, rather than the root of their health crises. What is suicide? The CDC defines suicide as "death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die," but Hyde reiterated the importance of the human factor. "I feel like it strips the humanity away from someone who is profoundly suffering, and kind of sanitizes what's going on," said Hyde. Actively distancing or sanitizing heavy emotions in an effort to protect masculinity is a common theme in discussions around men's mental health, and perpetuating that habit does nothing to disrupt the norms that led to the crisis of men's mental health. Centering the human emotions inherent to mental health, especially for men, helps to shift the paradigm. Hyde explained that suicide is not about wanting to die, but about not wanting to live. It is often seen as an escape to unbearable suffering, a means to end a hopeless situation. The most common emotion inherent to suicidality is hopelessness, but no single explanation can account for all suicidal behavior — not even depression. Only about 50% of suicidal men also experience major depression. Suicidal ideation has two types: passive and active. In passive suicidal ideation, the person wishes they were dead, but have no plans to commit suicide. In active ideation, the person has a plan in mind. "In both of these circumstances," Hyde said, "these men are suffering." To people experiencing suicidal ideation, their suffering is so great that the thought of suicide is comforting. Men are less likely to seek help for mental health, regardless of age, nationality, or race, and just half as likely to seek help for depression or anxiety. At the same time, men account for 75% of suicide deaths in the U.S. READ MORE

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