MALE SUICIDE EPIDEMIC VERY MUCH THE OUTCOME OF POVERTY AND HYPER-UNEMPLOYMENT

10 males in Queensland every week  now on average commit suicide. That equates to over 500 senseless and largely preventable deaths in Queensland alone. Nationally the figure for male suicide would be comparable to the amount of people who perished in the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks in 2001. 

 

 

But because all these men are dying as a consequence of taking their own life, most of the time all alone, isolated and in a loathing, self pitiful state of mind, and aren't the victims of terrorism and other headline grabbing tragedies, somehow it seems their death is not viewed by many as being as tragic as others, or the life they left behind as precious.

 

 

Many social factors are combining like never before to drive more and more young to middle aged Australian males to make the terrible and tragic decision to take their own life.

 

 

More than ever before it goes beyond the typical cliché explanations for why men (and women too), "lose all hope" and decide they want to end it - the most obvious one being a relationship breakdown.

 

 

 

Snowballing financial pressures upon the entire lower to middle class, are having a devastating emotional impact on both men (and women) from all walks of life.

 

 

More commonly than not, men are still the household primary breadwinner, and feel responsible for their family's plight living in poverty or increasing poverty, due to increases in cost of food and other essentials, unemployment, under-employment et. al. The list goes on and on.

 

 

Sometimes it gets so bad, and people, especially men, feel so helpless to escape their rut, that they flip and commit suicide.Boosting social support services won't rein in the male suicide epidemic. Especially when they are unemployed.

 

 

Newstart allowance for unemployed Australians, including singles, has to be increased to a level which at least meets the "official" poverty line, like as in the recognized minimum weekly income which an individual or family requires for basic living requirements, as in being able to pay essential bills, without starving.

 

 

Hyper-unemployment combined with manifestly inadequate unemployment benefits is a bad mix, and as Australia's male suicide statistics would indicate, quite often a deadly one. Right now, it's likely to be the biggest trigger for male suicide in Australia.