The big picture: Mental health experts are calling for a fresh look at how services support men, rather than focusing solely on encouraging them to seek help.
Why it matters: The revelation challenges a long-held assumption that men's higher suicide rates are primarily due to reluctance to ask for support.
Here's what we know:
More than 80% of men who died by suicide had contacted mental health services beforehand
Suffolk Mind held its first 'How Do We...?' event to explore new approaches
Over 80 people attended the event at Ipswich Town Football Club
The event, sponsored by Becketts Investment, raised £1,200 for Suffolk Mind's services
What they're saying: "If we know that the majority of men experiencing suicidal ideation are asking for help, the questions we have to ask are around whether mental health services in this country are providing the right support," said Ezra Hewing, Head of Mental Health Education at Suffolk Mind.
Ian White from Becketts Investment added: "Beckett Investment were proud to support Suffolk Mind's 'How Do We...?' event. Given the statistics around men's mental health and male suicide, we know that bringing people together is a key to making a change in our community."
Between the lines: The charity emphasises the importance of meeting 12 fundamental emotional and physical needs, including:
Sleep
Control
Emotional connection
Meaning and purpose
The bottom line: Suffolk Mind is encouraging people to examine their needs more closely, with Hewing suggesting three key questions to consider:
When life was hardest, which needs were unmet?
How are you meeting your needs in the present?
When imagining a healthy future, how do you see yourself meeting those needs?
Go deeper: Suffolk Mind's new short film 'How Do We...?' following four men facing mental health challenges can be viewed at www.vimeo.com/suffolkmind/howdowe
