Exploring social connection between men in suicide prevention initiatives

Abstract

Middle-aged men are more likely to die by suicide than any other demographic, necessitating efforts to support the mental health of at-risk men. Previous research has shown that suicide prevention programming can be an effective tool to combat male suicides, when implemented successfully. As a non-profit organization working to build a community-based initiative that fosters social connection among men, the Suicide Prevention Community Council of Hamilton (SPCCH) was interested in investigating different models of men’s mental health programming and their impacts. The McMaster Research Shop partnered with the SPCCH to explore opportunities to foster social connection between men to reduce social isolation, increase healthy help-seeking, and ultimately prevent suicide. To collect comprehensive data on the best suicide prevention strategies we divided data collection in two phases: (1) interviews with men’s mental health experts and (2) interviews with men’s mental health initiatives.