Young men need to 'open up' more

Young men in Northern Ireland need to "open up" before they give into despair, the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) has said.

Despite a fall in the number of registered suicides, young men aged between 15-24 years remain those most likely to kill themselves.

The HPA has launched a campaign aimed at encouraging men to seek help.

Its chief executive, Dr Brian Gaffney, said men are less likely to recognise the signs of mental illness.

"Rather than talk to someone about their concerns, young men are much more likely than women to use alcohol and other drugs in order to cope with worries, which can lead to other problems such as getting into fights, relationship difficulties and trouble with the police," he said.

The most recent figures show that 72% of suicides were males and suicides among young men in the 15-24 age group were more than three times higher than that of young women of the same age.

He said more than any other group, young men aged 16-24 years feel they have a lack of social support, with almost half (49%) saying they have some, or a severe, lack of social support.

Dr Gaffney said there is often a stigma associated with emotional problems and many people, particularly young men, think it is necessary to deny or disguise how they are really feeling.

"Men have the same reactions to everyday stress and are just as susceptible to many of the same illnesses as women but generally women will seek help and support for their problems, while men tend to bottle things up, which may lead to a crisis," he said.

"What we are saying through this campaign is don't cover up your problems, take the first step and talk to someone."

The campaign, funded by the Department of Health, will run throughout June and includes television, radio and bus advertisements as well as washroom posters and beer mats.