Why Men are Unhappy: Understanding the Link with Higher Suicide Rates

Social Expectations and the Burden of Responsibility

In Indian society, men are responsible for maintaining their families’ financial security and happiness. Such pressure often leads to stress and anxiety and the feeling of inadequacy when men fail to do so.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, men commit 71% of suicides in India. Economic stress, job insecurity, and failure to meet the financial expectations often make up a significant number of the cases.

The Role Gap and Women’s Inactivity in Work

In most homes, women are assigned to domestic duties, while men are forced to work and earn money.

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Unequal responsibility will lead to mental health disorders in men and perpetuate further the gap between the gender groups of expectations from society. Men are entrapped in their roles, and due to the lack of adequate emotional support, they easily face mental health crises.

Why do men find it hard to express emotions?

What is Inexpressiveness?

Many cultures lead men to believe that men who are sad or in a position of vulnerability are simply weak.

Men are taught from an early age not to cry and, therefore, not to open up. They tend to keep their feelings inside them instead of sharing them with others.

Effects of Inexpressiveness

Why do more men die from suicide?

Male suicide statistics

• 4,639 men took their own life in the UK in 2020 (source)
• 74% of all suicides in the UK involve men (source)
• The rate of suicide in men (15.4 per 100,000) is over three times higher than in women (4.9 per 100,000) (source)

• Men aged 45-64 have the highest rate of suicide by age (20 per 100,000) (source)
• Suicide is the second biggest cause of death in young males (1-19 years old) (source)  

Suicide worldwide in 2019 Global Health Estimates (WHO)

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Globally, the age-standardized suicide rate was 2.3 times higher in males than in females.

Male : female (M:F) suicide ratios greater than 1 indicate that suicide rates are higher in males than in females.

Toxic Masculinity: The Supression of Feelings

Men are made to suppress feelings and act as if they never had vulnerabilities.

Society teaches them that they should be tough, independent, and self-controlling, making them feel cut off from others when they are really struggling in their heads.
The culture discourages emotional expression and makes it difficult for a man to regulate his emotions healthily. The resulting emotional buildup often manifests as impulsive, aggressive behavior.

What can we do?

The next action is to encourage the male folk to express his emotions without shame and seek help when he needs it.
Accessible mental health services and emotional well-being promotion are crucial. Redefining masculinity as vulnerability and empathy can break harmful stereotypes.

These solutions can create a healthier, more balanced environment for men.

Men have emotions too; they’ve just been taught not to show them. It’s okay to feel; it’s okay to cry