Why is the male suicide rate so high? (psychologist, inability, men)
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Interesting that this spiked after 1950. When men realized that women weren't going to have their babies, look pretty in the typing pool and mix their drinks for them, they realized life is not worth living? I know as a man born in the late 20th century, I personally feel cheated.
A number of societal reasons- all unencouraging. Lack of connectedness to others, i.e. inability to discuss feelings face to face. Social connection amongst young people today is primarily electronic- social skills are dwindling.
Role models for boys are increasingly violent video games and the military. Divorce rate is high- fewer men in the family. They are unsure of who they are and who they should strive to be. General emotional immaturity is rife as compared to earlier generations.
Let's not forget the bad economy and perceived lack of a viable future.
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I'm surprised rates were fairly low during the Great Depression with not much of a peak. Also interesting would be an explanation for why the rate for females has gone down. Perhaps it's because life in general has improved for women. Remember this is for age 15-24, so very young males is more accurate. I'm not a sociologist or a psychologist, but there are probably a number of factors/reasons for the increase. I do wonder if a lack of purpose in life (which might also explain higher female rates in the past) might be one of them.
I wonder what caused the spike in the early 1900s.
The spike shown around WWI was likely from shell shock from returning soldiers- not sure about spike just prior- perhaps there was a depression or recession then?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollytree
The spike shown around WWI was likely from shell shock from returning soldiers- not sure about spike just prior- perhaps there was a depression or recession then?
The spike was in the late 00s and early 10s, before WWI. By the time 1918 comes around there's a sharp decline, actually.
I actually think wars would've reduced suicides as people realised how lucky they were to be alive. You can see the second steep decline coincides precisely with the early 1940s, World War II.
A number of societal reasons- all unencouraging. Lack of connectedness to others, i.e. inability to discuss feelings face to face. Social connection amongst young people today is primarily electronic- social skills are dwindling.
Role models for boys are increasingly violent video games and the military. Divorce rate is high- fewer men in the family. They are unsure of who they are and who they should strive to be. General emotional immaturity is rife as compared to earlier generations.
Let's not forget the bad economy and perceived lack of a viable future.
Those violent video games of the 1960's really caused that spike. Ironically the rate seems to have declined since those types of video games came out.
Since the 1960's there was the War in Vietnam, an influx and acceptance to try drugs, free love, Civil Rights and of course Women's Rights. The 1970's conflated this with "stagflation" with unemployment rising until the 80's.
But in the end I agree, men, specifically young men, couldn't seem to cope with these "new" pressures. Coming back from the Vietnam war as a traitor, not a hero, with a wife who wanted to work; who was never home to help with the kids, led men to drink, while looking through employment ads.
This graph (of death by Cirrhosis) seems to match up pretty well to the OP's.
Women seem to track with men until the 1970s. Women's Lib, baby! The emasculation of the male, specifically the formerly-Alpha white male. As my dad calls it, the "intrusion" of women into the workforce. Add to that the fact that this year, suicides outrank combat deaths of soldiers involved in the Afghanistan war.
Pressure. And the media's 24-hour news cycle-glorification of death, killing, and suicide.
The spike was in the late 00s and early 10s, before WWI. By the time 1918 comes around there's a sharp decline, actually.
I actually think wars would've reduced suicides as people realised how lucky they were to be alive. You can see the second steep decline coincides precisely with the early 1940s, World War II.
The peak was before WWI. Maybe it was (Upton Sinclair) The Jungle syndrome.
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