Samaritans: Out of sight, out of mind. Why less-well off, middle-aged men don’t get the support they need (April 2020)

Summary

In the UK and Ireland men are three to four times more likely to die by suicide than women. Research also tells us that men who are less well-off and living in the most deprived areas are up to 10 times more likely to die by suicide than more well-off men from affluent areas .Middle-aged men in the UK and Ireland also experience higher suicide rates than other groups, a fact that has persisted for decades.

The Samaritans carried out in-depth ethnographic interviews with 16 less well-off middle aged men across the UK and Ireland to find out the challenges they faced and the events which lead them to crisis point. The study explored what these men said worked for them when they came into contact with with support services.

This is the first of two connected reports. The second report, due to be released later in 2020, will set out recommendations of how services can effectively engage and support men earlier in their lives, before they reach crisis

Content

Findings

• The men spoken to had been struggling for years with poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and feelings. Despite experiencing many well-known risk factors for this group, many opportunities to help them at critical points before they reached crisis were missed.
• Importantly, the men spoken to didn't see community-based support services, focused on fostering connection and community, as relevant to them before they reached crisis.

"There exists a vacuum of responsibility in which opportunities to engage and support these men, before they hit crisis point, were neglected."

What is wanted from support services

Among other things, the following were all key:

• The opportunity to make a contribution.
• A feeling of inclusivity.
• The chance to work towards common goals.
• Peer support and feeling like they had shared experience with other people.