Whereas Section 1 illustrates some of the contexts in
which suicidal behaviour might occur, Section 2
attempts to answer the question of why suicidal
behaviour (rather than other expressions of distress)
might be used by men in response to these contexts.
I situate suicide among a range of ‘unhealthy
practices’ in which men are more likely to engage
(Courtenay, 2000). Special attention is paid to
substance misuse, as this is an important risk factor
in suicide (Cleary, 2012; Stack, 2000) and is also
found more frequently in contexts of socioeconomic
deprivation. I discuss the ways in which
drug and alcohol use, socio-economic context and
life stage might contribute to the unique
vulnerability of this group of men to suicide.
Research into masculinities remains important
throughout this section, and I suggest that suicide
might be one of a number of ways in which men
‘express’ a masculine identity. In particular, I
highlight the physical nature of these activities