Men struggling to maintain a “gold standard” of masculinity and prizing power and control may be behind the rise in suicides among those in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, says a new report from the Samaritans.1

Relationship breakdown, loneliness, alcohol misuse, and emotional illiteracy all contribute to a rise in suicide rates among middle aged men, especially among those from disadvantaged backgrounds, it says. The charity is calling on governments across Europe (but particularly in the UK and Ireland), health services, and voluntary services to recognise suicide as a health and social inequality.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that suicides in …