By Thula Chisamba
Clinical psychologist Frank Magagula of Saint John of God Hospital Services warns that a culture of toxic masculinity is driving a disturbing surge in suicide cases among men in rural areas.
Malawi Police statistics reveal that 80 percent of suicide victims are male, with rural communities mostly affected.
Magagula, in an interview, on Thursday, attributed the trend to societal expectations that men must always be strong and providers.
“Our cultures are to blame. Men are raised to never fail, but when they do, they turn to suicide.”
In today’s competitive world, he notes, this mentality of males not failing creates immense pressure on them.
“We need to rethink how we raise boys and redefine masculinity. Otherwise,” he warns, “This trend might continue to send men into suicide.”
Efforts, by several organisations, to address mental health issues and suicide in Rumphi district have faced resource constraints, limiting their effectiveness.
Youthful groups which run advocacy campaigns on suicide and mental health in the district say they are failing short to combat the pandemic due to lack of funding.
Programmes manager for Rumphi Youthhub, Mackson Nguluwe, disclosed, in an interview, that resources have been a major problem in running anti-suicide campaigns in the district.
He said lack of resources is hampering their efforts and limiting their targets.
“We have been trying within our means to meet several groups and sensitize them on issues surrounding mental health but funding is a challenge.
“Resources we use come from our pockets, and are often not enough to cater for our catchment area,” he said.
“We must redesign our culture with messages that promote healthy masculinity. We must target rural areas where culture of toxic masculinity is more prevalent,” he added.
