JUNE is celebrated as Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reported that, during the pandemic period, Jamaica saw a notable increase in the number of suicides, with the majority of these tragic deaths being older men. This rise in suicides must raise serious concerns among health officials, families, and communities throughout the country, the JCF said.
Also, the Ministry of Health reported in 2020 that the suicide rate was approximately 2.1 per 100,000, with statistics from JCF reflecting between 47 and 56 deaths per year due to suicide. There are many variables that push people to believe that they should attempt suicide.
Sometimes people are depressed but undiagnosed. Sometimes the early signs are not recognised. Signs include changes in appetite; feeling worthless or guilty; depressed mood; loss of energy; fatigue; and difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
The state of one’s social and economic situation can cause depression — and it is doubly depressing because men are expected to be macho, and to grin and bear it; it seems as if they are expected to turn off their emotions. This has resulted in them being angry, abusive and depressed. The National Institute on Mental Health defines depression as a common but serious mood disorder which causes severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.
Major depression includes symptoms of depressed mood or .
