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Suicide and the reluctance of young men to use mental health services

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Shane Burke  and
Patrick McKeon
Shane Burke
Affiliation:
St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
Patrick McKeon
Affiliation:
St Patrick's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
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Abstract

Young men are grossly over represented in Irish suicide statistics, yet this group is the least likely to use mental health services. This paper outlines why young men are reluctant to access mental health services, framing the problem in the context of risk factors for suicide such as binge drinking and social change. The paper argues that de-stigmatising mental illness and encouraging young men to seek help for emotional problems should be a priority for policymakers.

Keywords

Suicidestigmamental health servicesyoung menbinge drinking
Type
Perspectives
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , June 2007 , pp. 67 - 70
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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