Shedding light on male suicide

In March 2018, male suicide prevention charity CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) launched a project involving 84 male sculptures being placed on a central London building.

This was in an effort to shed light on the prevailing issue of male suicide. Each sculpture embodies a man who took his own life. Family and friends of these men worked with American artist, Mark Jenkins, to create each figure.

Contrary to popular belief, 75% of suicides in the UK are male. This stems partly from the presence of toxic hyper masculinity: the belief that, in order to be male, you must disregard all aspects of femininity.

Each sculpture embodies a man who took his own life.
For men feeling trapped and lonely, suicide may seem like the only option. Which why it is the biggest killer of men under 45.

These feelings can stem from the presence of toxic hyper masculinity: the belief that, in order to be male, you must disregard all aspects of femininity.

Crying is seen as a sign of weakness. Soft emotions are replaced by rage and sexual prowess to display male dominance.

This repression of emotions is what can pave the way to depression.

Social media places pressures on men and women alike. Men are expected to be muscular and physically dominant.

But embracing emotions that are deemed as feminine and allowing themselves to be vulnerable is crucial for preventing loneliness, as well as ensuring that mental health services for men are fully accessible.

CALM have made a key step in the battle against male suicide, and so must we.

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