It was a poignant reminder to normalize and take care of men’s mental health when singer-songwriter Stromae, on a TV show, spoke about his new song and was candid about his personal problems, feelings of loneliness, depression and battling thoughts. suicidal.
With all the norms of masculinity that are prevalent in Africa, it becomes a difficult environment to live in as a man. Not to minimize the difficulties women face, such as domestic violence and other forms of abuse, but we should take a moment and talk about men for a change. Perhaps in this way, the amount of abuse perpetrated by men could be reduced, since most violence is the result of related trauma, according to the WHO.
Some traits of toxic masculinity that often go unnoticed are;
Beliefs that men should have mental and physical strength.
Beliefs that aggression is a natural trait in men.
Beliefs of stoicism, or that men should not show emotion.
Forced heterosexism or discrimination against people who are not heterosexual.
Beliefs that men should be self-sufficient or depend only on other men.
Beliefs that men are emotionally insensitive,
These are just a few examples of things that can lead to bullying or humiliation if you’re a man but not characterized by it. Some people also force themselves and strive to conform to society’s macho expectations, denying their genuine identities.
These could, in turn, lead to other forms of abuse or violence by men towards other men or towards women. It could also lead to depression and, if not addressed immediately, suicide.
One, if curious enough, may also wonder why there are few, if any, studies or research devoted exclusively to men’s mental health. On a personal note, studies are usually done for both men and women as the total population of a specific place or just for women and adolescents, although World Bank statistics show that the death rate from suicide in Rwanda per 100,000 male population was 8.2%. This indicates that there is a serious need for attention and care in this area.
According to Joseph Muwonge (et al) in his article “Suicidal Behavior and Clinical Correlates in Young Adults in Rwanda: a Population-Based, Cross-Sectional Study” published in the Journal of Global Health Reports, suicide kills about 12 people for every 100,000 in Rwanda every year, with a male to female ratio of 3:1.
This means that the number of men is three times higher than that of women, which could indicate that men are more likely to commit suicide than women.
One may wonder, if it is because they are mentally weak by nature, the answer is no! Men and women suffer from the same mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.
There is no such thing as “male depression,” and the symptoms are all the same. Some indicators of depression include negative thoughts and feelings, excessive tiredness, cravings for alcohol, and drug abuse. Someone with a mental condition can be helped in a number of ways, or they can seek professional treatment.
“The differential rates of depression, in which women exhibit a higher rate of suicidal behavior but a lower mortality rate from attempted suicide, may be attributable to their high rate of treatment for depression,” according to Ignacy Moscicki, a chemist who provided An explanation of the gender disparity in suicide rates.
It found that the rates of women with diagnosed and treated depression are about twice that of men. This shows that, due to prevailing masculinity norms, men are less likely to seek professional therapy for depression or even seek support from their friends.
Stromae, after speaking about his rather sensitive issues, was praised and thanked for his openness on the matter by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The latter tweeted: “Thank you @stromae for bringing up the difficult topic of #suicide on your latest album. It is very important to seek help if you have difficulties and to support those who need it.”
As more men, particularly those in positions of authority or with the ability to influence their audience, continue to raise awareness of men’s mental health issues, we may see more men opening up and seeking help.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t just a men’s issue; women’s campaign on the issue is equally necessary for collective impact. Let it be a topic for everyone, for a family, for a country and for the whole world.
While discussing the issue may not immediately solve the problem, it will certainly be the first step in acknowledging how oppressive our systems can be for some of us.
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