James Donaldson on Mental Health - Unspoken childhood experiences a key factor in male suicide 

In Australia, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women.

A study undertaken by Griffith University researchers explored the intersections of men, suicide and child sexual abuse, revealing the lifelong impacts of adverse childhood experiences on adult survivors’ mental health and suicide risk.

Professor Patrick O’Leary , Co-Director of the Griffith University Disrupting Violence Beacon and Chief Investigator for the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women , led the research which analysed 47 recent studies in international peer reviewed journals on child sexual abuse and suicidality in adulthood.

“In a quarter of the studies, a clear and direct link between child sexual abuse and suicidality was found.

“Several studies reported child sexual abuse was, over and above other forms of maltreatment, linked to suicidality.” Professor O’Leary said.

There were several factors that potentially differentiated men’s experience of child sexual abuse from women.

Male survivors experienced up to ten times the rate of suicidality compared to community populations and took longer to disclose and seek help than women.

They often engaged in externalising behaviour such as alcohol and drug use to deal with their trauma.

Other research showed male survivors can struggle with shame and stigma, with some adopting a hypermasculine persona in which they display risk-taking and aggression.

The research aligned with the experience of those who accessed support through Survivors and Mates Support Network , one of Australia’s leading organisations for male survivors of child sexual abuse.