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Duke of Cambridge welcomes national task force on male suicide

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Today the Duke of Cambridge will join the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) at the launch of a unique coalition of front-line services to help tackle the issue of male suicide, the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK.

Convened by CALM, the coalition includes The Samaritans and front-line services from land, sea, and air: National Rail, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Highways England, British Transport Police and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Chief Fire Officers Association and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.

The aim is to pool all members’ substantial expertise in dealing with suicide at first-hand to develop a resource which helps men identify and support others, and themselves, when down, depressed or suicidal. The coalition will also include male grooming brand Lynx, one of CALM’s key partners.

The Duke of Cambridge welcomes the coalition, to which he will bring his own experience as a Search and Rescue helicopter pilot. He will attend the coalition’s inaugural round table discussion and then visit the RNLI Tower Lifeboat Station to meet first responders who deal with male suicide on a daily basis.

With an estimated daily cost of £20 million, male suicide accounts for 76% of all suicides in the UK. It has a huge impact not only on individuals and families, but also on the workforce of many frontline services and other organisations.

Jane Powell, CEO of CALM, said: “Suicide is frequently bracketed as the actions of the ‘mentally ill’. However, from our helpline we know that men who are suicidal are often tackling the kinds of life problems which can affect any of us, male or female, although it’s damned hard for men to admit to needing help or even find it. With the support of these male-dominated industries who know only too well the impact of suicide, we’re determined to normalise getting men help.”

Jonny Benjamin, who was stopped from jumping from a bridge by a stranger, said:“It’s great to see this fantastic coalition of emergency and transport agencies come together with CALM and Samaritans around the issue of male suicide. There is a real need for a resource to help men feel able to offer help, whether that’s a stranger on a bridge or your best mate.”

The male suicide prevention coalition is announced ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week (16 – 22 May) and the launch of Heads Together, a national campaign spearheaded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry to promote mental wellbeing.

  • LemonSloth

    This is beautiful. So glad to hear this is happening. Keep up the good work!

  • https://twitter.com/TicklishQuill Isaac T. Quill

    Where is the research showing men don’t seek help? I’m tired of hearing this Social Studies Woozle peddled as reality. What I do know to be reality is that when men seek help there is none for them – they are told to go else where – men are disposable.

    Extensive research to locate the source of the claim that Women Attempt suicide at a rate three times higher than men keeps finding NOTHING. It appears that it is yet again just a cynical Woozle that has been peddled by feminists to create a moral panic and gain access to funds and attention, to promote gender bias and leave people at risk – especially men – ignored and told they have it better than any women.

    Maybe this is a turning point, but many will remain cynical, given the sexist cynicism that has been allowed to run riot, unchallenged for decades and which has simply become folk law demonizing all men.

    • Malcolm James

      There are attempts and attempts. You have to take a humungous amount of over-the-counter medication to do yourself serious harm and if you take when you know someone will be around to find you, is it a serious attempt at suicide or a cry for help?

      • https://twitter.com/TicklishQuill Isaac T. Quill

        I keep hearing opinions and opinions on opinions, but sources and citations are lacking.

  • Groan

    Very welcome indeed. To pick up Isaac’s point it is difficult to quantify as “attempts” at suicide or self harming or “accidental” overdoses may be added to the equation. Research does indicate that the methods most frequently used by females are consistent with extreme help seeking behaviour, that to some extent there is a wish to find assistance. The methods typically used by men are far more definitely fatal, there is no expectation of help or recovery. If there is a gendered pattern then it probably is that the higher rate of male suicide to a great degree reflects a mental state that absolutely believes there is no help/alternative. And frankly that isn’t so surprising in a society convinced that men should “suck it up”. So welcome that CALM and others are at least trying to say there could be help.
    I think that the quote about being a “burden” is also significant. There is some reticence about this, particularly at the time of the Invictus games which celebrates bravery, but men disabled by illness or injury are very much amongst the casualties of suicide. Being a burden can be a strong motivator to positive action; but also to ending life. However it comes about being considered a “human doing” is a real problem if you are no longer able to “do”.
    Jane Powell is a feminist but one who at least follows through on the implication of the theory that social roles are ascribed and can be damaging for men as well as women. Most importantly this work will save lives and I hope allow a little more compassion to be shown to the “human doings” who falter.

  • disqus_ArQv6e31it

    This is so long overdue it’s disguisting.

    If as many women killed themselves as men, we’d never hear the end of it
    It is too simplistic to blame the shocking rise in male suicide on men being unable to open up about their problems,
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/mens-health/11377311/If-as-many-women-killed-themselves-as-men-wed-never-hear-the-end-of-it.html

  • AJ

    That there is more attention being paid to male suicide is generally a good thing but it is still seen a problem with men.

    ‘it’s damned hard for men to admit to needing help or even find it.’

    It is not at all clear that mens supposed reluctance to seek help is actually the cause of the higher suicide rate. Research into the causes of male suicide would be a good step but as always male disadvanatge or suffering is seen as a very low priority if not ignored completely. The purpose of this sort of statement is to blame men for their own disadvantage so as to avoid having to address the real issues of discrimination and disadvantage against men.

    The idea that all would be well if only men asked for help more is frankly offensive, as men we know very well that our lives are not considered very valuable, except by those that know us directly. We know that requests for help will in the main by met by scorn. We see this daily in news reports that emphasise and highlight the deaths of women and children but never explicitly mention male fatalities. We see it in the specific support for women above or often to the exclusion of men even in areas where men are more highly disadvantaged such as violence, education and health. We see it in the constant denegration and demonisation of men as a class. When we grow up in school we see that at every stage boys are criticised, any conflict or disagreement is resolved in girls favour and men are seen as inferior, defective, dishonest and a source of problems. Given that men are heavily discriminated against in education, in health, in the criminal justice system, in support for victims of violence is it any surprise that men commit suicide more frequently?

    Implying men are somehow to blame because ”it’s damned hard for men to admit to needing help’ fails to recognise that men must be self reliant, must be stoically independant because that is the only way we can survive in a society in which we are discriminated against and disadvantaged in all aspects of life. Asking for help is not a good strategy when no help is available and the act of asking will be used as a tool to criticise and denigrate. If we want men to ask for help then we first need to change the health, education, policing and criminal justice system so that men are not discriminated against and help is actually available. Telling people to ask for help and then inevitably disappointing them when no effective help is provided will not make things better.

  • Lydia A Hubbell

    Their parents need to teach them better coping skills when they are children. Suicide is NEVER the answer.

    • Alan Millard

      It is much more than this. It’s the culture in which they exist and how it persecutes males.

  • Alan Millard

    The many issues facing men are overwhelming with no respite especially when males are singularly targeted by the system. Due to their conditioning and common sentiment expressed against them daily, many realize there exists no reprieve, with suicide becoming an easier, if not a welcomed choice for thousands.

    Alan Millard
    Author of Equality: A Man’s Claim

  • wombat

    But men have male privilege and nothing wrong ever happens to them! Just like how it’s impossible for white people to be poor, and there were never white slaves in history!

    Just the other day I was walking down the street and suddenly the patriarchy gave me a million dollars, just for being male.

  • Aaron Golightly

    If you look at the demographics affected, namely men under 45, it’s surprising just how little involvement, or dare I say care, is given by the National Union of Students in regards to this issue. Surely as one of if not probably the biggest killer of their male membership, the NUS should be taking a lead on this. Instead their name, much less support, seems to absolutely nowhere near any kind of campaign to raise awareness of male suicides that I’ve ever managed to come across.