—
The link between divorce and suicide in men may be overlooked in the United States. Family court laws are providing more reasons why men need some considerations, especially with reference to shocking statistics that divorced men may be at higher risk of mental health, anxiety, and suicide.
The 2003 paper by Augustine Kposowa that compared suicide rates of divorced men to their married counterparts was not the major finding, but rather the remarkable difference between suicide rates of divorced men compared to divorced women. This was quantified to the extent of everyone divorced woman suicide was matched by over eight suicides of divorced men.
The specific detail in that paper was that, that the separated men were 2.4 times more likely to commit suicide than their unmarried counterparts. The impact of sex-related white suicide was 8.3 times higher for the divorced men. I also made a note on something that was not gender-specific but with regards to household income below $10k there was a 2.31 times more chance of suicide versus a benchmark of $25k or higher.
A ground-breaking examination of 27 different studies of suicide, conducted by the Samaritans organization, confirmed this grim trend is worldwide:
The majority of studies suggest that men are at a greater risk of suicide than women in the aftermath of relationship breakdown.
There are “terrible consequences of being a divorced man,” says Kposowa.
While social, psychological and personal problems facing women are readily denounced, societal institutions tend to ignore or minimize male problems that are evident in suicide statistics. The reasons divorced men, commit suicide much more often relate to shame, loss of identity, loneliness, separation from children, financial pressures, job troubles, gender stereotypes and lack of social support.
Youtube followers would have noticed Jeff Morgan broadcasting that divorced men are more likely to commit suicide after divorce than women. His opinion did bring in the suicide statistics of men and its needed consideration. His reference to Texas Family Law was resonating a bigger problem in the divorce lawyers’ tactics to unjustifiably create more harm.
In Texas, the divorced man is not just separated from his partner, but the lack of equal parenting order creates higher rates of suicide from Family court rulings. The consideration for divorced men is that the separation is one set of psychological barriers to overcome, but with the suicide statistics indicating the more than eight times factor of Men taking their lives, this silent epidemic cannot continue, especially the remaining family members after-effects.
The divorce lawyers, as described by Morgan, are meeting with their clients to establish how much economic gain they will estimate from the proceedings of divorce. Knowing that the judicial system does not assume the bond between mother and the children are the same as the father’s. This hits hardest on the divorced men, but not neglecting the effects on the divorced children. Why do the lawyers still press with the destruction of families?
The children in Texas, are being separated from their fathers, they are being single-parented according to the Family Court Laws, this is challenging enough. Now due to the separation of their parents, the added trauma of one of their parents committing suicide puts ultimate mental health at a tipping point. We need to make considerations for the divorced men in our society given the children suffering from a fatherless society, but ultimately the shocking statistics of the link between separation and suicide.
.
—
Related, here on GMP:
A Broken System: Family court in the United States –a series by Stephen Krasner
—
What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view or reaction here at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.
◊♦◊
Get the best stories from The Good Men Project delivered straight to your inbox, here.
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
—
Photo credit: Pixabay
“The conversation no one else is having”
FACT: Divorced men kill themselves 8 times more often than divorced women because society provides no support for men as they are being stripped of their family, social status, identity, belonging and purpose in this world. I am just another middle aged male divorce/suicide statistic.