Men’s anxiety, why it matters, and what is needed to limit its risk for male suicide

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health disorder experienced by men. If left untreated, anxiety is predictive of psychiatric disorders including depression and associated suicide risk. Despite the prevalence and impact of men’s anxiety, it remains largely overlooked in the field of men’s mental health. Globally, men are reported to have lower rates of anxiety disorders compared to women; however, these sex-differences do not reflect the complexity and nuance of men’s experiences. There is early evidence to suggest a male-type anxiety phenotype which may go undetected with generic diagnostic classifications. Masculine norms (i.e., stoicism, toughness, invulnerability) appear to be central to men’s experiences and expressions of anxiety as well as men’s help-seeking and coping behaviours. This is particularly concerning given anxiety increases men’s risk of physical and psychological comorbidities and suicide risk. The effective assessment, detection and treatment of men’s anxiety is therefore critical to improve mental health outcomes across the male lifespan. We propose three key recommendations for the field of men’s anxiety: (i) to develop a theoretical model surrounding men’s experiences of anxiety, (ii) broaden mental health resources, interventions and suicide prevention strategies to encompass men’s gendered experiences of anxiety (e.g., sentiments of shame, physical symptom manifestation), and (iii) utilise informal supports (i.e., friends and family) as an avenue of intervention to improve men’s anxiety outcomes. Without a substantial research agenda in men’s anxiety, we will fail to recognise and respond to men’s gendered experiences of anxiety and ultimately fail to reduce male suicides.

Men’s Depression, Externalizing, and DSM-5-TR: Primary Signs and Symptoms or Co-occurring Symptoms?

“…A further area that has been largely overlooked in relation to men’s mental health is anxiety. Emerging research highlights the salient role of anxiety in men’s suicidality and that particular symptoms (or comorbidities), including body pains, panic attacks, headaches, and perceptions of feeling out of control, are more likely to be experienced by men 36,37 . Associations between men’s experiences of generalized anxiety, MDD, and externalizing symptoms may be a useful area of future enquiry.…”

Establishing research priorities for investigating male suicide risk and recovery: A modified Delphi study with lived-experience experts.

“…However, the reliability of this statistic—obtained primarily through psychological autopsies—has been questioned, and it is reported that men who die by suicide are less likely to have a mental health diagnosis (Fowler et al, 2022). Scholars suggest some mental health conditions that are often linked to suicide, such as anxiety and depression, may be undisclosed and/or undetected in men (Fisher et al, 2022; Kõlves et al, 2013). As such, we need to investigate the relationship between having a mental health condition and male suicide risk (90%).…”

Prevalence and associated factors of suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempt among male construction industry workers in Ireland

“…Furthermore, existing suicide prevention interventions targeting male CIWs might bene t from widening their scope to include speci c information on the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Indeed, interventions that target men's informal supports -promoting knowledge around men's depression and anxiety symptoms and positive help-giving behaviours to upskill men's friends and colleagues -have been highlighted as key in the identi cation, management and treatment of men's depression and anxiety (53,54). Moreover, those with past experiences of a mental health di culty had a greater relative risk for SI (RR 7.00) compared to those with severe GAD (RR 2.00) or severe depression (RR 1.90).…”