More than one in ten Scottish men suicidal over body image

More than one in ten men say body image has left them feeling suicidal.

That's according to a new survey published by the Mental Health Foundation Scotland as part of men’s health awareness month, Movember.

Almost three in ten of Scottish men say they have felt anxious because of their body image and many had deliberately hurt themselves.

One in five men also revealed they had avoided taking part in social activities that would require them to show their body over the last year. This could include taking part in sports or going on a beach holiday.

Tommy Kelly, 39 from Irvine, has battled eating disorders for two decades. He says, "I'm not surprised. Men just aren't supported well enough. I feel like there's that much pressure to look a certain way - whether that's big biceps or the perfect six pack. A lot of people believe it's just women under this kind of pressure.

"The only way many men feel they can cope with it is by self destruction and often it does lead to suicidal thoughts. I suffered a few of them myself and totally understand why they feel that way.

"It took me around two years to realise I did have an eating disorder. Then I felt guilt and shame and wanted to hide from people. I self-destructed.

"But I just wanted to live again. It takes a lot of power and internal will from yourself to actually reover. You can get all the help you want but ultimately change has got to come from you.

"Society just tells us we need to have this stiff upper lip. We need to harden up because we're males. But that's just not true at all.

"The important thing is admitting you have a problem and then getting any help you can very early on."

The survey involved more than 1,000 adults and was carried out earlier this year.

Julie Cameron, Head of Programmes at the Mental Health Foundation Scotland said: “Body image is often seen as an issue that affects women – but it is clear from our data that it is affecting large numbers of men as well. Men are also increasingly being surrounded by images of idealized body types – either through advertising or reality TV shows.

“The consequences of body image issues can be serious. It is shocking that over one in ten of the men who responded to our Scottish survey said they had experienced suicidal thoughts as a result of body image issues.”

MHF Scotland, who currently co-chair the Scottish Government’s Body Image Advisory Group, is calling on the Scottish Government and relevant industries to take action, including the regulation of social media. It has also campaigned for reality TV shows like Love Island to avoid showing unrealistic body types.

Julie said: “There is evidence to suggest that body image issues in men are becoming more pronounced. Men also can find it more difficult to talk about their mental health and to seek help.

“But none of this inevitable. There is much we can do as a society to reduce pressures on men and improve and mental health."

Information on support available can be found here.