by A Swiss study found that men who strongly identify with traditional masculine norms are at greater risk of suicide. Globally, men already have a higher suicide rate than women, but this study takes a closer look at which types of men are particularly at risk. Intensively mimicking the muscle’s traditional role is harmful and takes a mental toll, driving suicide.
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Difficulty holding on to the traditional ‘masculine ideal’
The University of Zurich study delved into how traditional gender norms that emphasize strength, independence and emotional control create dangerous psychological tension. These expectations make it harder for men to seek help and express their vulnerability, leading to pent-up emotions that build up over time. The dissociation from expressing feelings to appear “masculine” is both stressful and emotionally draining. Fearing that sharing vulnerabilities will make them appear ‘weak’ or less masculine, many men try to deal with everything themselves, exacerbating their mental health problems.
Customized intervention
The Swiss study examined about 500 men and divided them into three main groups: egalitarians, players and stoics. Egalitarians do not primarily follow traditional masculine norms, while Players focus on status and sexual success to appear masculine, and Stoics adhere strongly to traditional ideals, from emotional control and independence to risk-taking.
Stoics often restrain their emotions and strive to appear independent and embody the traditional masculine ideal. This extreme insistence on masculinity can lead them to take typical male risks, such as driving fast or participating in extreme sports. The same goes for emotions: Stoics are hardly expressive. The researchers found that the Stoics were at double the risk than egalitarians. Stoics tend to always ‘solve their problem’ rather than asking for help. The researchers explain how this attitude sometimes creates a tunnel vision where you are the only one without any support, with suicide being the only way out.
The Stoics were noticeably younger than the other groups, prompting researchers to emphasize the importance of young adulthood as a crucial stage in which boys’ perceptions are formed and nurtured. Exposure to toxic masculine ideals during this time can have serious, lasting consequences that manifest well into adulthood.
The researchers emphasized the need for tailored interventions for stoics, as their depression symptoms often deviate from the norm. Andreas Walther explained: “In these men, depression often does not take the form of classic symptoms, but of somatic problems such as back pain. They also often express their negative feelings through aggression or risky behavior rather than talking about it.” This is a unique manifestation of depression and requires a specialized approach.
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