Sir, - I welcome the letter from G. Steadman (December 16th), spokesman for the Minister for Health, detailing the action taken by his Department to address the issue of male suicide and in particular the assurance that a national suicide prevention/reduction strategy has commenced. It is also heartening to hear that crisis intervention services are being examined by a number of boards.
The problem is one of visibility. How many people are aware that such services are now available? More importantly, how many of the vulnerable are aware that help is available and are both exhorted and know how to seek it? My point is that a major public awareness programme is required and this needs to penetrate not only the workplace but into the dim corners where many of these unfortunate people live their lives. Social workers visit the aged and the infirm. Should their concern also reach towards the isolated young who are unemployed?
On a broader level, my earlier letter questioned the level of funding allocated specifically to men's health issues. Prostate cancer is almost as common among men as breast cancer among women. Yet the public awareness programme for prostate cancer is miniscule compared to that for breast cancer. The very fact that men live on average six years less than women testifies to the need for a focus on men's health with the provision of special services to attend to the main danger areas. Men need to be made more aware of the ways in which lifestyle can shorten their lives and be urged to avail of screening services for such conditions as prostate cancer and to seek regular medical checkups.
We are only beginning to hear of the extent of men's problems. Domestic violence was long thought to be almost an exclusive male preserve but now we are hearing otherwise. Men also need barring orders and public recognition of this fact. In conclusion, Mr Steadman in his letter mentions a partnership approach between the statutory and non-statutory services. This is good, but I would venture that the statutory bodies have a great deal of ground to make up simply to equal the efforts of individuals and groups. In particular, they might take up some of the issues that Joe Armstrong has done so much to publicise in his book Men's Health. - Yours, etc., K Humphries,
Rockfield, Maynooth, Co Kildare.