The Impact of Suicide Bereavement on Men

What this review is about

Every year, around 700,000 people worldwide die by suicide, leaving behind family, partners, friends and others who must cope with the emotional and practical consequences of this loss. This experience is known as suicide bereavement or suicide survivorship. It can involve intense grief, guilt, anger, confusion and social isolation. Bereaved people may also experience stigma or find that others are unsure how to respond to their loss.

Men are particularly affected by suicide. They are more likely to die by suicide than women and are often less likely to seek emotional or professional support. In a systematic review published in 2024, Nina Logan and colleagues at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health examined how suicide bereavement affects men’s mental and physical health, relationships, work, substance use and everyday life.

What the researchers did

For this systematic review, the researchers searched several scientific databases for studies about men who had experienced suicide bereavement. They identified 35 studies published between 1995 and 2023.

The studies included in the review used different methods, including surveys, interviews and information from national health records. Together, they explored how losing someone to suicide may affect different areas of men’s lives.

What they found

Increased suicide risk

Five large studies using national health records found that men who had been bereaved by suicide had a higher risk of dying by suicide themselves than men who had not experienced this type of loss.

One study suggested that losing someone to suicide may be linked with a greater risk of suicide than losing someone through another cause.

There was also evidence that losing a spouse or partner to suicide was linked with an increased risk of suicide in bereaved men.

However, not all studies found the same results. For example, one Korean study found no clear difference in suicidal behaviour between bereaved and non-bereaved men.

Overall, the strongest studies suggested that men who experience suicide bereavement may themselves be at greater risk of suicide. However, these studies show a link rather than saying that the bereavement itself directly causes the increased risk.

Mental health and emotional impact

Some of the strongest evidence came from a large Danish study of men whose partners had died by suicide.

Compared with other men, they were:

• around 80% more likely to develop mental health problems within five years
• around 12 times more likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• more likely to experience mood and anxiety disorders
• around five times more likely to receive psychological therapy
• more likely to be admitted to hospital because of mental health problems.

The same Danish study found higher rates of problems with alcohol and drugs. Men whose partners had died by suicide had around 50% higher rates of alcohol use disorder and 70% higher rates of drug use disorder.

Some of the interview studies also described men using alcohol as a way of coping with grief. However, findings about alcohol and drug use were mixed across the review.

Effects on relationships and daily life

Suicide bereavement could also have a major effect on family life and relationships.

The Danish study found that men whose partners had died by suicide were more likely to have children placed in care outside the family home and were more likely to need support from family services.

Interview studies also described strained relationships with family members and friends. Some men found it difficult to talk about their feelings or worried about placing an emotional burden on other people.

Feelings of guilt, shame and isolation were common, and some men described finding it difficult to form new romantic relationships.

Some men also described finding meaning or peace after their loss, recognising their own resilience, or finding purpose in supporting other people.

Physical health impact

There was some evidence that suicide bereavement was linked with poorer physical health, although the findings were less consistent than those for mental health.

Large studies found that men who had lost a spouse, partner or sibling to suicide had around a 30% higher risk of dying from any cause than comparable men who had not experienced this loss.

One large Danish study also found higher rates of hospital treatment for several health problems, including cancer, liver cirrhosis, sleep problems and spinal conditions.

However, because much of this evidence came from a small number of studies, we cannot be certain that suicide bereavement itself caused these health problems.

Work and everyday functioning

Suicide bereavement could also affect men’s ability to work and continue with their usual routines.

A Swedish study found that fathers who had lost a child to suicide were more likely to take time off work because of mental health difficulties.

Interview studies suggested that some men struggled with motivation or found it difficult to return to everyday routines. Others described working excessively as a way of distracting themselves from their grief.

Masculinity and emotional expression

A recurring theme in the interview studies was the influence of ideas about masculinity on how men responded to grief.

Some men felt that they needed to “stay strong” for other people or believed that showing vulnerability was unacceptable. This could lead them to hide their emotions, grieve privately or avoid seeking support.

Some studies found that men reported lower emotional distress than women following suicide bereavement. However, the researchers suggested that this did not necessarily mean men experienced less pain. Differences in how men and women express distress and seek support may partly explain these findings.

Limits of the review

Although the review provides valuable information, there are important limitations.

Relatively few studies focused specifically on men, and many of the smaller studies included only small numbers of male participants.

The studies were also very different from one another. They examined different types of bereavement, measured different outcomes and used different research methods. Because of these differences, the researchers could not combine the results in a statistical analysis called a meta-analysis. This makes it difficult to estimate exactly how large the effects of suicide bereavement are.

Most studies were carried out in Western countries. Culture can influence how people understand masculinity, grief and help-seeking, so the findings may not apply equally to men in other parts of the world.

There was also limited information about how experiences differed according to culture, sexuality and other aspects of men’s identities.

To sum up…

The review suggests that losing someone to suicide can have serious and long-lasting effects on men’s mental health, relationships, work and, potentially, physical health. It also suggests that men who have experienced suicide bereavement may themselves be at greater risk of suicide.

Ideas about masculinity may make it harder for some men to talk openly about their grief or ask for help. Support therefore needs to recognise that different men may cope and communicate in different ways.

Services designed specifically with bereaved men in mind, opportunities to connect with others who have had similar experiences, and easier access to appropriate mental health support may help reduce some of the serious consequences of suicide bereavement.

More research is needed to understand which forms of support are most helpful, which men are most at risk, and how experiences differ between cultures and communities.