An interesting article by Ally Fogg in the Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/20/britain-male-suicide-rate-tragedy-failure
It starts:
In 1981, 2,466 women in the UK took their own lives. Three decades later, thanks to improvements in psychiatric and emergency care medicine, to a range of suicide prevention barriers and policies and, perhaps, to gradual social, political and personal empowerment, the number in 2012 had almost halved to 1,391.
In 1981, 4,129 men in the UK took their own lives. Three decades later, despite improvements in psychiatric and emergency care medicine, a range of suicide prevention barriers and policies and, arguably, some degree of social, political and personal empowerment, the number in 2012 had risen to 4,590.
The claim that British men have enjoyed, ‘arguably, some degree of social, political and personal empowerment’ in the past 30+ years might be Ally Fogg’s conviction, but to most people with an interest in men’s human rights it will appear ridiculous. British men have suffered nothing other than disempowerment on many fronts for 30+ years. This must surely have contributed to the fact that the male/female suicide rate differential has almost doubled over that period.
Justice for Men & Boys 
As Ally and you point out, the real shocker is that the high risk groups are ignored. Suicide is the tragic tip of a pyramid of illness and stress. One disgracefully neglected by health services and research and wilfully neglected politically. For all the pontifications of a metropolitan elite the reality is that men are required by society and by themselves to do their best to support a family (whatever “form” it takes). I recall a quote about depression, “there’s a good reason men don’t cry; the women in their life don’t like it”. For many men, “I can’t have depression, I’ve got to get up of a morning” is a simple truth. As Ally points out the same role is required, it’s just been made harder to fulfill.
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Mike – I think you are being too hard on Ally Fogg. The rest of the article is excellent. As I see it Mr Fogg is operating behind enemy lines in getting articles like this into The Guardian. I expect he feels a heavy editorial hand so some pulling of punches is to be expected at times. And this is not the first time he has hit back, reacting to some earlier feminist-inspired article in The Guardian. Most importantly in this article he draws attention to what I and others have noted: that the various “studies” omit the very group which has been shown to be at greatest risk, 40-45 year old men.
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Rick, I said it was an ‘interesting’ article. My objection is primarily to the second paragraph, hence my later comments.
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