Young men in post-apartheid South Africa talk about masculinity and suicide prevention

Abstract

We explored the experiences of a racially mixed group of young men in post-apartheid South Africa to investigate how they conceptualised suicide and document their suggestions for suicide prevention. Data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings suggest that in spite of socio-political transformation, young men in South Africa may not feel liberated to deviate from traditional gender norms. Participants described restrictive heteronormative gender roles that are akin to hegemonic masculinity and that create a rigid gender regime that prevents authentic relating, disconnects young men from each other, and makes it difficult to receive emotional support. Participants attributed suicidal behaviour to feelings of disconnectedness, thwarted belonging, pressure to conform to the gender regime, and feelings of shame when unable to achieve masculine ideals. They suggested that suicide prevention should be aimed at fostering connectedness, relationship building, and disrupting the gender regime. Furthermore, they suggested that in cyberspace, the gender regime was less rigid and stated that they felt more liberated online to express distress and access support, which has implications for suicide prevention interventions.