The suicide rate for men is about four times higher than for women. While men make up 50% of the population, they account for 80% of the suicides. Yet, suicide risk in men often goes unnoticed.
Now new research may offer hope. A UCLA-led study of public health records has identified a vocabulary associated with events surrounding male suicides that could be useful in spotting individuals who need follow up care, and in improving public health messaging.
The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, examined 271,998 suicides over a period of 17 years in the U.S. National Violent Death Reporting System, a database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research revealed large differences in the language used in the database’s police reports and public health records to describe the circumstances surrounding male and female suicides.
Less than half of suicide decedents in the database had a documented mental health condition, and even fewer had evidence of having ever received mental health or substance use treatment. In addition, a much larger percentage of those who had received such treatment were women than men.
Language related to mood, psychological state, and previous or ongoing treatment for mental health problems appeared far more frequently in the records of women than men. Words and phrases related to interventions, such as “intensive care unit,” “therapy,” and “welfare check,” also appeared more frequently for women. These are the types of terms mental health professionals are trained to recognize as early warning signs of suicide.
Words associated with male suicides, on the other hand, were far more likely to reference job loss, alcohol abuse, financial stress, and unusual behavior around the time of death.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
The records related to men who did mention mental health struggles were less likely to note that the person received treatment, and when treatment was mentioned, they were more likely to add that the patient had been non-compliant. Male narratives also more often included a topic reflecting emergency or police-based interventions.
Ten terms related to mental health that more often appeared in the narratives of men than women were:
chronic mental health conditions
undiagnosed
strange behavior
agitation
making mistakes
seeming like
cognitive difficulties
signals of mental and physical health issues
self-injury
cognitive indecision
“Many studies have shown that men are less often diagnosed with or treated for depression and other mental health issues so it’s not surprising we see fewer of those kinds of terms in the records,” said co-author Vickie Mays, a UCLA professor of psychology and health policy and management. “What we’ve done is uncover a language of suicide that can help health care workers and others catch more men before they go through with it.”
The findings offer a new approach to understanding and identifying early warning signs for suicide by mining texts, possibly using artificial intelligence, for signals emitted by those close to committing suicide.
“Health care workers could reach out to these people with offers of support, and the data could be used to train suicide hotline workers, first responders, and health care professionals to recognize and intervene with troubled men. The language could also be used in public health messaging and in workplace wellness programs,” said Susan Cochran, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the Department of Statistics and Data Science.
Mays noted that women interact with the health care system more routinely than men, usually around reproductive health. These visits typically include screening for depression and can lead to referrals for treatment.
“If a man is only going to a doctor every so often, there are fewer chances he’ll be referred for treatment. We think that by identifying gendered language around suicide, we can get more help for men who need it,” Mays said. “For example, interventions could be directed at a man who is distraught about losing a job, since that was one of the key indicators pointing toward suicide for men.”
Photo by Mental Health America (MHA) on Pexels.com
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at [email protected] and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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