Stark Reality: Divorced Men Face Fivefold Suicide Risk Compared to Their Married Counterparts

Breakups can be emotionally devastating, often leading to significant psychological distress. This issue seems to particularly affect men; research indicates that intimate relationship struggles, including breakups and divorces, contribute to suicide risk for one in three Australian men aged 25 to 44 who die by suicide. Alarmingly, men represent approximately three-quarters of all suicides in numerous countries, including Australia. Our recent study serves as the first comprehensive review of how relationship dissolution influences men's suicide risk. Through analyzing 75 studies spanning 30 nations, involving over 106 million men, we discovered separated men are nearly five times more likely to die by suicide compared to their married counterparts. Moreover, men under 35 exhibit nearly nine times greater odds. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted support systems to foster emotional resilience and encourage healthy coping mechanisms in men facing relationship challenges.