The March date for celebrating Men's Day is not the same all over the world. In Poland we celebrate it in March, while in many other countries it falls only on November 19. This is due to the fact that the March holiday originates from the unofficial celebration of the Catholic Church commemorating the 40 Holy Martyrs of Sebasta. Men's Day was established to promote values associated with healthy, stereotype-free masculinity and to draw attention to issues such as mental health and a shorter life expectancy for men.
Mental Health Problems and the Suicide Scale
According to the data, men cope worse with psychological pressure, and cultural-social norms are often not conducive to openness, the display of sensitivity or the use of professional help. Raised in a spirit of patriarchal values that emphasize strength and independence, they rarely reveal their problems or feelings of loneliness. Research clearly confirms this trend.
In 2021, the suicide rate among men was more than twice as high as among women. Despite the fact that the global suicide rate has fallen by almost 40% in the last 30 years, someone still takes their own life every 43 seconds. In Poland in 2021, men accounted for 85% of all suicide victims (4413 cases). The ratio of male to female suicides was 6.1 at the time, while according to the latest national data it fell to 5.3. In Europe, the highest suicide rate for men compared to women was recorded in Georgia — it was 9.1. Globally, this ratio was 2.2. Women, although they are more likely to develop depression, usually have better developed social ties and relationships that can support them in seeking help and treatment. Men are less likely to admit to mental problems and are less likely to receive their diagnosis. Data from 2021 show that the highest ratio of male to female suicides occurred in post-communist countries, especially those that were once part of the USSR. This may indicate cultural conditions in which mental health remained taboo and problems were often “solved” in the traditional way — through alcohol abuse.
Solutions
In Poland, the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Working Group for Prevention of Depression and Suicide at the Public Health Council at the Ministry of Health, has developed a Suicidal Behavior Prevention Program. It is one of the parts of the National Health Programme 2021-2025. However, according to problematic experts, funding is low in relation to the complexity of the problem and its scale. The program provides for no more than PLN 30 million from the funds of the Gambling Problem Solving Fund and the state budget.
For many years, Finland was a country associated with a high suicide rate. However, the Finnish government has been working for years to reduce this risk and provide support to people in mental crisis. The main causes of the high suicide rate were the poor functioning of the health care system in terms of the detection of mental illnesses and ineffective therapeutic procedures. Although the Finnish model of research and reform of the health care system has proven to be effective, it would be difficult to fully transfer it to Poland due to significant cultural and systemic differences. However, it can be a valuable inspiration for introducing changes in the Polish psychological support system.
In September 2024, the Polish Association for Boys and Men published an open letter to the Ministry of Equality, Katarzyna Kotula. We can read in it, among other things, that “Men are much more likely to commit suicide, and in many countries they are the vast majority of homeless people.” One of the members of the association, Michał Gulczyński, in his report Silenced inequalities. Men's problems in Poland (2021) points out that “a certain group of men, especially those less educated and living in the provinces, may be worse off than women.” This is an interesting perspective showing how social inequality is linked to economic inequality and how — regardless of gender — it can affect different social groups equally in some cases.
Wishes
We wish all men care for their health, forbearance in moments of weakness and strength to be inspiring role models. We remember those who are fighting in war, struggling with depression or other difficulties — we are with you and we want you to feel supported.
Sources
- https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/male-female-ratio-suicides-rates?time=2021
- https://www.mp.pl/pacjent/psychiatria/aktualnosci/301032,polska-krajem-samobojcow
- https://schm.org.pl/blog/miedzynarodowy-dzien-mezczyzn-list-otwarty/
- https://klubjagiellonski.pl/publikacje/przemilczane-nierownosci-o-problemach-mezczyzn-w-polsce/
