Introduction

On an average, men are less likely to seek help for mental health issues and to be prescribed psychotropic drugs as treatment. Research have shown that no mental disorder is gender specific. However, findings have also shown that men suffer more frequently from disorders such as alcohol and drug abuse as well as impulsive and mood disorders. Statistically, 15.3 out of 100,000 men in the European Union committed suicide in 2015, as opposed to 4.3 out of 100,000 women the same year. In most Member States, suicide is ranked as the second most common cause of death in the age group 15-34 years. Combined with these high numbers and the lack of conversation about the topic, suicide is often called the “silent killer of men”. In a society where gender equality is the focus of many topics, why is this silent killer affecting men so much more than it is affecting women?

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It’s believed that the cause of this may be machismo as well as the expectations placed on men by society. Traditionally, masculinity includes being strong and dependable as well as being able to provide for your family. Although there is very little research as to the causes of men’s mental illness, the most recent research tells us that men’s high suicide rates are directly linked to risk factors such as history of being abused, failed relationships and difficulties with their economy. Expectations on both genders are creating difficulties and standards impossible to meet, thus taking its toll on the general public’s mental health.

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Furthermore, a study made by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in 2010 showed that male life expectancy at birth rose from 56.4 to 67.5  years during a 40-year period from 1970 to 2010. Women’s life expectancy at birth, however, rose from 61.2 to 73.3 years during the same period. They concluded that the gender gap in life expectancy at birth had widened to the men’s disadvantage. The WHO European Region concluded that this gap can be partly blamed on behaviours associated with male norms and masculinity as well as the fact that men are less likely to see a doctor when being ill. Combined with socio-economic developments, such as the general increase in the economic standard of living and the increasing general acceptance and knowledge of mental illnesses during 1970 to 2010, it would be sensible to make the hypothesis that the gender specific life expectancy gap would have decrease. Since this is not the case, the topic is extremely relevant and important for discussion.