Gold Coast sparky says action needed as male suicides on the rise

Almost 75 per cent of all suicides are men. It’s a statistic Gold Coast electrician Dan Crear says authorities needs to do more to fix. Read the full story

A Gold Coast man has opened up about the pain of losing six mates to suicide, saying authorities need to do more.

Electrician Dan Crear, 33, is taking part in the annual Movember challenge for men’s mental health.

It’s a charity close to his heart having endured such painful loss.

“We lost three mates in our early mid twenties, all within 18 months of each other,” Mr Crear said.

“Since then we lost three or four more within similar friendship circles.

“It sounds bad, but you kind of get numb to it. You hear of another old friend who passed away and you kind of know before you’re told that it’s suicide.”

Dan Crear says more needs to be done to make it easier for men to access mental health services. Photo: Regi Varghese

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, of all people who die to suicide 75 per cent are male.

A 2022 coroner’s report of New South Wales and Victoria, which have the highest suicide rates in Australia, recorded a 10 per cent increase in male suicides.

Mr Crear said while it was becoming easier to talk about mental health with friends, many men feel like seeking professional help will penalise their careers or their insurance cover.

He said he hoped through his fundraising work this year to send a clear message that “it’s not just about raising awareness, we need action”.

“A big fear is that if you take up the rebated sessions for example, then it’s in your medical record,” he said.

“And I know a lot of men who are afraid that they’ll lose their jobs or won’t be considered for certain positions or that it will affect their insurance and private health is too expensive.”

Age-standardised rate of suspected deaths by suicide for Queensland residents, by month, January 2019 to December 2021. Data: AISRAP

“So while awareness is important, we need more invested to make seeking professional help easier for men.”

Medical on Miami GP Dr Tyler Chin said while younger men were ore likely to reach out for help, his main concern were men aged 40 and over.

“I think a part of it is that there’s still a stigma and reluctance to come forward and talk about mental health,” Dr Chin said.

“About 80 per cent of the men I see who seek mental health consults are men in the 20s and 30s, but it’s the older men in their 40s and over who we’re missing.

“And when you think about the stereotypes, this is the generation of the ‘stoic male’, the ‘she’ll be all right’ types and they bottle it all inside.”

However Dr Chin said for those reluctant to see a psychologist, they can instead seek consults with their GP.

“We know not everyone can afford to see a psychologist on a weekly or even fortnightly basis, but there are things that we can do as GPs that we are trained to do,” he added.

Originally published as Gold Coast sparky says action needed as male suicides on the rise