Vijesti ROMI.HR

Čini se da je pandemija Covid-19 monopolizirala više sfera javne rasprave, posebno one vezane sa zdravljem. Uznemirujući učinci zatvaranja i ograničenja su se ostvarili u obliku sveobuhvatnog osjećaja nepredvidljivosti i imaju ozbiljan utjecaj na mentalno zdravlje. Njihova težina može doseći ekstremne razmjere i dovesti do takvih štetnih praksi poput samoubojstva, koje nerazmjerno više pogađaju muškarce. Iako je pandemija nesumnjivo pogurala pitanja mentalnog zdravlja više na dnevni red, ovi problemi nisu novi.

Tokom posljednjih 10 godina društvena atomizacija, nesigurnost i individualizam su između ostalog uvelike doprinijeli naglom porastu problema mentalnog zdravlja, među kojima su stres, nervoza i depresija najčešći. U sve konkurentnijem okruženju koje ne osigurava odgovarajuće uvjete za radnike i pred licem brojnih globalnih izazova koji se često smatraju nerješivima, osjećaj nemoći i skepticizma dominira život mnogih ljudi. To je također razlog zašto u određenim sektorima pozivaju na usmjeravanje više pažnje na pitanja mentalnog zdravlja, fokusirajući se na psihološke faktore. Ako se riješe na pravi način, pružiće nam bolje šanse imati radosni i  ispunjeni život.

Pitanja mentalnog zdravlja dolaze do izražaja na razne načine i njihovo zanemarivanje može imati vrlo ozbiljne posljedice. Muškarci su često izloženi nizu problema mentalnog zdravlja poput nervoze, depresije, zlouporabe i ovisnosti o drogama, izolacije, odnosno samokontrole stresa i PTSP-a. Ovi mentalni problemi mogu poprimiti ekstremne oblike i rezultirati samoubilačkim oblicima ponašanja. Puno se može zaključiti iz prirode samoubojstava u odnosu na spo u modernom društvu, posebno kako su samoubojstva povezana s određenim shvaćanjima muškosti.

Prema Svjetskoj zdravstvenoj organizaciji, stopa samoubojstava u svijetu je otprilike dvostruko veća kod muškaraca. U zapadnim zemljama jaz među spolovima je još veći. Stopa samoubojstava je tri do četiri puta veća kod muškaraca nego kod žena. Zanimljivo je da su pokušaji izvršenja samoubojstava češći među ženama. Ova činjenica govori o tome da su metode izvršenja samoubojstava među muškarcima smrtonosnije po svojoj prirodi i stoga imaju veću vjerojatnost da će uspjeti. Situacije je toliko teška da je u zemljama poput SAD-a, Velike Britanije, Australije i Rusije samoubojstvo najčešći uzrok smrti muškaraca mlađih od 45 godina. Prema podacima Ureda za nacionalnu statistiku Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva, 2019. godine stopa samoubojstava muškaraca u Engleskoj i Walesu je bila najveća u posljednjih 20 godina. Od 5,691 zabilježenog slučaja samoubojstva, 4,303 su izvršili muškarci i 1,388 su izvršile žene (75% nasuprot 25%).

Mnogi istraživači smatraju da je postojeći pritisak na muškarce da se pridržavaju tradicionalnog poimanja muškosti ključni faktor samoubilačkog ponašanja. Takav koncept muškosti se često potiče od malih nogu kroz izraze poput "muškarac mora biti muškarac" i "muškarci ne plaču".  Ispoljavanje emocija, posebno onih koje su vezane s tradicionalnim razumjevanjem ženskosti, obično se vide kao znak slabosti.

Gore navedene norme ponašanja obično dovode do sutuacije u kojoj muškarci skrivaju svoju ranjivost i rijetko traže medicinsku i stručnu pomoć. Nedostatak brige o sebi povećava rizik od samoubilačkog ponašanja. Predrasude u vezi s psihološkom pomoći, koje pogađaju i muškarce i žene, izraženije su kod muškaraca. Osim toga, tradicionalne spolne uloge također podrazumijevaju da društvena stigma vezana
s nezaposlenošću i nesposobnošću brzog uspinjanja po društvenoj ljestvici nerazmjerno više utječe na muškarce, stvarajući uvjete u kojima nervoza, stres, depresija i samoubilačke misli mogu postati uobičajeni.

Zanimljivo je da kriza Covid-19 stvara kontekst u kojem se muškarci osjećaju ugodnije dijeleći svoj emocionalni teret jedni s drugima, s obzirom na to da su ekonomski i društveni problemi pogodili veliki broj ljudi. Istovremeno, plaćeni posao je ključni element shvaćenja uloge muškaraca kao “hranitelja” od strane društva. Uzimajući u obzir negativni utjecaj pandemije na ekonomske uvjete i zapošljavanje i oslanjanje na posao kao sastavni dio samopoštovanja muškaraca, predviđa se porast samoubilačkih ponašanja kod muškaraca.

Takvi trendovi još više utječu na muškarce u ranjivim zajednicama. Romske zajednice koje su materijalno ugrožene i dio su kulture u kojoj su tradicionalni pojmovi muškosti vrlo prisutni, su ovom izložene najviše. Uzimajući u obzir marginalizirani položaj Roma, koji ionako otežava pristup zdravstvenim resursima, malo je vjerojatno da će problemi mentalnog zdravlja Roma biti riješeni na odgovarajući način.

S obzirom na gore navedeno, postoji hitna potreba usvajanja odgovarajućih praksi koje promiču zdravlje muškaraca. Svjetski dan muškaraca pruža priliku za promoviranje novih oblika muškosti koji ne smatraju ranjivost i emocionalnu otvorenost kao slabost, već ih se pokušavaju integrirati u kategoriju "muškosti". Potencijal ovog pristupa kao učinkovitog sredstva prevencije samoubojstava se ne smije potcenjivati.

International Men’s Day, celebrated on the 19th November, seeks to raise awareness about mental health issues in the male community, promote male general well-being and celebrate the positive contribution of men in our communities. This day is an opportunity to reassess masculinity’s core values, focusing on the challenges men face. One of these challenges is the substantially higher suicide rates among men, which often remain neglected. Suicide remains, today, the most common cause of death for men under 45 in countries such as the US, UK, Russia and Australia.

It seems like the Covid-19 pandemic has monopolized multiple spheres of public debate, particularly those related to health. The disturbing effects of lockdowns and confinements, materialised through an overarching sense of unpredictability, are having a serious impact on mental health. Their gravity can reach extreme scenarios and lead to potentially harmful practices such as suicide, which affects men disproportionately. While the pandemic has undoubtedly pushed mental health issues higher in public discourse’s agenda, these issues are hardly a novelty.

Over the past 10 years, societal atomisation, precariousness, and individualism (among other issues) have greatly contributed to a spike in mental health issues, with stress, anxiety and depression being the most common. In an increasingly competitive environment that fails to provide adequate conditions for an over-qualified workforce, and in the face of multiple global challenges often perceived as unsolvable, a sense of powerlessness and scepticism dominates many people’s lives. This also explains why a number of sectors have been calling for greater attention to mental health issues, placing emphasis on psychological factors that, if addressed correctly, can give us a better chance to access joyful, fulfilling lives.

Mental health issues manifest in a wide variety of ways, and the consequences of low attention to these issues can have very serious consequences. Men are often exposed to a number of them, which include anxiety, depression, substance abuse and addiction, isolation, anger and stress management, and PTSD. In turn, these can take extreme forms and result in suicidal patterns of behaviour. The gendered nature of suicide in modern society is very revealing, particularly in the way it is linked to certain notions of masculinity.

According to World Health Organisation data, suicide rates are roughly twice as high for men globally. In Western countries, the gender gap is larger. Suicide rates are three to four times higher for men than for women. Interestingly, suicide attempts tend to be more common among women, which points towards the fact that men’s attempt methods are more lethal in nature and therefore more likely to succeed. The gravity of the situation is such that in countries like the US, UK, Australia and Russia suicide is the most common cause of death for males under 45. According to data from the UK Office for National Statistics, in 2019 the male suicide rate for England and Wales was the highest in the past 20 years. Out of 5,691 suicides registered, 4,303 were by men compared with 1,388 by women (75% vs 25%).

Existing pressure to adhere to traditional notions of masculinity have been found as a key determinant for suicidal behaviours by many researchers. These modes of masculinity are often encouraged from a young age, through common references to phrases like ‘boys will be boys’ and ‘boys don’t cry’. Emotional displays, particularly those associated with traditional notions of femininity, are usually punished as manifestations of weakness.

The above conditions usually translate in men hiding vulnerability and rarely seeking medical and professional help, which leads to a lack of self-care and higher potential for suicidal behaviours. On-going prejudice regarding psychological treatment, which affects both men and women, is more pronounced in the case of males. Furthermore, traditional gender roles also often imply that the social stigma associated with joblessness, unemployment and failure to escalate the social ladder affects men disproportionately, creating conditions where anxiety, stress, depression and suicidal thoughts can become more common.

Interestingly, the Covid-19 crisis is providing a context where, given widespread economic and social problems that are often common to many, men feel more comfortable sharing their emotional burdens with each other. At the same time, waged employment is a key aspect of men’s socially perceived role as ‘’providers’’. Considering the negative impact of the pandemic in economic conditions and employment, and the reliance on work as an integral part of men’s self-esteem, suicidal behaviours in men are predicted to increase as a result.

These trends affect vulnerable male populations with more severity. Roma communities, which are subject to both high levels of material deprivation and a culture where traditional notions of masculinity are very much present, are especially exposed. Taking into account Roma’s marginalised position, which already complicates access to health resources in general, it is unlikely that Roma men’s mental health issues will be addressed appropriately.

Given what is exposed above, there is a clear, urgent need for men to adopt more adequate, health-promoting behaviours. International Men’s Day is an opportunity to develop new forms of masculinity that reject seeing vulnerability and emotional aperture as a threat, and rather seek to integrate these within the ‘masculine’ category. The potential of this approach as an effective tool for suicide prevention should not be undermined.