Tackling male suicide: The Government must prioritise suicide prevention in the men’s health strategy

Next week is International Men's Day - an opportunity to spotlight positive messages and support for men, but also a moment to focus on where progress is lacking – including around men’s health.

Last year the Government committed to publishing a Men’s Health Strategy. This is a positive step and must include a clear focus and action towards reducing lives lost to suicide. 4,231 men died by suicide in 2024. That is 11 men dying every day, at a rate of 17 per 100,000.

The statistics are stark, but I know first-hand that they cannot capture the emotional distress and the impact of each life lost. Behind each statistic is a person – and the family and friends they leave behind. My father took his own life, and that is one of the many reasons I am passionate about the work of Samaritans and determined to make sure the Government gets this right.

The Men’s Health Strategy is a vital opportunity to deliver meaningful change and save lives. We’re urging the Government not to waste it. The strategy must take a holistic, preventative approach, addressing not only the mental health system, but also the social and economic conditions that underpin male suicide.

Worryingly, when men do attempt to seek help, they are frequently met with a system which does not understand them or their needs. In the week before their death by suicide, 38% of men had sought help from various statutory services. Among those who presented to A&E with suicidal thoughts or self-harm in the months before their death, only a small number were referred for follow up care, and even fewer were admitted for psychiatric support.

The strategy therefore needs to fund and deliver a targeted programme of research and evidence-gathering to improve understanding of how suicide risk presents in men. Insights from this work must directly inform the design of gender-informed training, risk assessment models, and service delivery, ensuring healthcare staff are equipped to recognise and respond to suicide risk in men more effectively.

Investment in mental health services is an essential part of the solution, but that alone will not end suicide amongst men. We know that most men who die by suicide are not in touch with mental health services, however, research shows that 9 in 10 middle aged men are in touch with a statutory service in the year before they die. Many are interacting with A&E departments, emergency services, or receiving support for suicide risk factors such as problem gambling, debt, or addiction. Each of these moments represents a missed opportunity for lifesaving intervention.

The ‘no wrong door’ principle, outlined in the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, commits to ensuring that anyone in distress can access timely and appropriate support, no matter which service they first approach. 

As part of the men’s health strategy, the Government must invest in more joined-up support pathways for people struggling with risk factors for male suicide such as alcohol misuse, gambling and financial difficulty and ensure they receive both treatment and wraparound support such as housing advice, employment services, and mental health care. This integrated model would help bring the ‘no wrong door’ principle into practice.

Many NHS services now signpost to these male specific community services, which can act as a bridge between statutory services and more tailored support. However, these services rely heavily on their own fundraising and have little or no access to support from Government. To reduce male suicides, the Government must work in partnership with community services which deliver effective, tailored support for men. 

As part of the Men’s Health Strategy, the Department of Health and Social Care should launch a multi-year Voluntary Community or Social Enterprise (VCSE) funding grant to identify and support the implementation of impactful VCSE services and initiatives that support the mental health of men.