Suicide Notes Talk Too Late

Suicide Notes Talk Too Late: Movember Foundation makes a stand this World Suicide Prevention Day

“Men, we need to talk, especially when things get tough” – that’s the message from the Movember Foundation today.

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and the Movember Foundation wants to reach out to help save lives. The Movember Foundation is using this occasion to spark conversation about the high numbers of male suicide within the community.

Statistics show three out of four deaths by suicide in New Zealand are men, and on average, more than one man takes his life each day*.

The majority of the population remains completely unaware of just how many husbands, fathers, brothers and sons we’re losing to suicide every year.

“An alarming 510,000 men die from suicide globally each year, that's one every minute,” says Robert Dunne, NZ Country Manager for the Movember Foundation.

“This is an unacceptable state of affairs and should be a global priority. Yet it’s hidden in the shadows and shrouded in stigma. Many men are ‘toughing it out’, keeping their problems to themselves and suffering in silence,” adds Dunne.

Timaru Mo Bro Richard Brown, who lost his twin brother to suicide, speaks out in the latest podcast on Movember Radio, explaining how he thinks Kiwi blokes are not very good at talking about their feelings.

"My brother really needed help but was the type of guy who would have never asked for it, he had all the support in the world but he didn’t know it.”

While women have higher rates of depression than men, they are also more inclined to seek help. Men are encouraged to start talking in order to break down the barriers of masculinity, which often prevents them from taking action when it comes to their mental health.

“This World Suicide Prevention Day, the Movember Foundation is urging men to break the silence and recognise that the key to overcoming even the biggest problems is to start talking,” adds Dunne.

ENDS

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