Men’s mental health week is being observed worldwide from 13 to 19 June, to spread awareness of the mental issues faced by men.
In the UK, as per a December 2022 report published in the House of Commons, the suicide rate among men was three times the rate among women in 2021, and this gap, the report states, has only widened over the years.
Among the South Asian community in the UK, the issue of mental health is largely stigmatised, thus men from within the community, at times, find trouble opening up.
Asian Standard reached out to Sharing Voices, a mental health charity based in Bradford. The established Bradford charity shared its anecdotal research on the issues of mental health, especially among South Asian men.
The research found multiple factors behind the alleged social stigma, around men’s mental health in the South Asian community.
The research discovered a strong cultural stigma towards the community’s attitude towards mental health, which made it difficult for people to speak about their mental health and suicide. Other factors, that the research found were a lack of protective factors and poor help seeking behaviours, an absence of ongoing support and therapy and an absence of social support and buffering among others.
The research considers some anecdotes of family members who had attempted suicide.
A Pakistani mother, who’s son attempted suicide said: “Men really need to talk about their feelings; they just don’t open up, they are the ones most at risk, we have to help them talk about their problems.”
While an Indian male practitioner said: “Shame is the biggest killer of all, men would rather take their life than expose their dark secrets, they will take them to the grave.”
A Bangladeshi male, who attempted suicide, spoke about his experience: “I have no family here in the UK and was made to feel like a loser, I felt isolated and alone. After getting charged and in debt I felt I had no way out and tried to jump off a bridge; the mental health workers helped me and came out for me when I called them.”
Ishtiaq Ahmed, Strategic Service Director, Sharing Voices said: “Mental health is a topic that is often seen as taboo within the South Asian community in the UK. A culture of shame is all too familiar for many South Asians suffering in silence with mental health problems. In the UK, 75% of lives lost by suicide are male, according to the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). Conversations around suicide and male mental health in the South Asian community are still far and few between.”
He added: “Recent studies have shown that South Asian immigrants are experiencing high rates of mental health disorders, which often go unaddressed. In one UK study, middle-aged Pakistani men reported significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety compared to similarly aged Whites, even after adjusting for differences in socioeconomic status.”
Underlying the causes, he said: “Structural racism is also a fundamental cause and driver of ethnic disparities in health. Several decades of research clearly shows that racism in all its forms—structural racism—is a fundamental cause of ethnic differences in socioeconomic status, adverse health outcomes, and ethnic inequities in health. Talking about mental health and seeking professional help within the South Asian community can be incredibly difficult, especially for men. From stigma within the community, family pressure, and structural racism and inequality within healthcare settings, taking that first step to getting help can be daunting.”
Suggesting solutions, he continued, “There are several ways to help South Asian men open about their mental health. One way is to de-stigmatise mental health issues, de-stigmatising mental health issues is key to helping people feel well again. Another way is to improve access to mental health support that is culturally inclusive.”
