Trigger warning: This article contains material related to suicide and mental illness. Discretion is advised.
In a world that has traditionally praised the resilience of men, the narrative around their mental health struggles is evolving. While the expectation for men to embody stoic warriors persists, there is a noticeable shift in the script.
According to a recent NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) report, the suicidal death rate per lakh (SDR) among men stood at 20.6, compared to women’s 8.1 in the year 2021. Dr. Lakshmi Vijaykumar, founder of Sneha, an NGO in Chennai for the prevention of suicide, says, “There’s an anomaly, a paradox. Worldwide, women have a higher prevalence of depression, but it’s men whose suicide rates are higher. It goes to show that men have a difficulty in expressing their emotional needs and distress, which leads to issues like substance abuse and hence higher rates of suicide.”
