Why Do So Many Middle-Aged Men Commit Suicide? Amid the Tragedy of Cricket Hero Graham Thorpe’s Death, Experts Explain Why Men Aged 45 to 64 Are at Highest Risk of Suicide

Cricket star Graham Thorpe committed suicide after years of battling severe anxiety and depression, believing his family would be ‘better off without him’, his devastated wife has revealed.

His death was confirmed on August 6, but the 55-year-old Surrey batsman was hospitalised two years ago after a previous attempt and despite “glimmers of hope” his mental health continued to deteriorate, she added.

While each of these cases is as astonishing as it is tragic, official data shows that men his age are among the most likely to commit suicide in England and Wales.

According to the Office of National Statistics, there were 5,642 suicides in 2022, of which almost three quarters (71 percent) were men.

Men between the ages of 45 and 64 are at greatest risk, and the number of suicide deaths in this age group has been steadily increasing in recent years, despite a decline in older and younger groups. Experts who monitor the problem are trying to figure out why.

The most recent data show that 20 deaths per 100,000 people fall into this category, namely middle-aged men.

This is almost three times higher than the lowest rate among men (aged 10 to 24), which was 7.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022.

Looking at the percentages in more detail, the rates for men start to rise from age 30, peaking at just over 15 per 100,000 for men aged 50 to 54. For men aged 45 to 49, the rate is slightly lower.

The percentage starts to decline from age 55, but remains high at over 12 per 100,000 among men aged 55 to 59.

What’s behind these numbers? Causes of suicide are always extremely complex, says The Samaritans, which warns against simplifying causes or speculating about a ‘trigger’.

The following is added to the reporting guidelines for the issue: ‘MMost of the time there is no single event or factor that leads a person to commit suicide.’

However, according to Professor Nav Kapur from the University of Manchester’s Centre for Suicide Prevention, financial concerns play a role.

He said previous research has shown that during times of economic recession, suicide rates among men in this age group increase, especially in regions hardest hit by the recession.

“Middle-aged men are at the greatest risk of losing their jobs and not finding new ones,” he said.

Professor Kapur added that men of this age are more likely to see their job and their status as ‘breadwinner’ as the cornerstone of their identity, and this loss can have a major impact on their self-confidence.

Another factor is divorce. A 2012 report by the charity Samaritans found that divorced men were three times more likely to attempt suicide than married men.

This is thought to be because middle-aged men are very dependent on their wives for emotional support, and from the age of 30 onwards they tend to have fewer friends than women in general.

The average age at which men divorce in the UK is 45.

Professor Stephen Platt, a health policy expert at the University of Edinburgh, also points out that the high suicide rates among men of this age are related to the increasing isolation they experience.

“We are thinking about the increase in employment among women, births outside marriage, the increase in divorces and cohabitation, second and subsequent marriages, single-parent families, stepfamilies, single people, partnerships and the dissolution of partnerships,” he said.

‘All of these trends mean that men are less likely to have a lifelong partner. And when you combine that with their difficulty coping emotionally and forming new relationships, because they have less support than women, then they are more vulnerable to mental health problems and suicide.’

Another factor Professor Kapur highlights is that men in this age group, as a generation, often have ideas about masculinity that can make them more vulnerable to suicidal thoughts.

“They grew up with strong, silent, stoic fathers and male role models, but they now live in a society that values ​​open, forthright ‘new men,’” he said.

“They are a generation with a divide, who don’t really know who they are or how to be.”

To make matters worse, traditional male coping mechanisms for suicidal feelings can actually exacerbate these feelings.

Professor Kapur said: ‘When women feel physically or mentally unwell they are more likely to seek help, visit their GP or share their feelings with others.’

According to him, men, on the other hand, are more likely to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.

‘In the long term, alcohol acts as a depressant on the brain; it lowers mood. In the short term, it can lead to impulsive decisions.’

According to Professor Shirley Reynolds, an expert in psychological therapies at the University of Reading, another factor is that men are generally less likely to seek help for ailments, both physical and mental, than women.

“We know that on average men are less likely than women to use the NHS for physical health problems,” she said.

Professor Louis Appleby, chair of the government’s National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group, echoed these points: ‘Men are at greater risk of suicide because they are more likely to drink heavily, more likely to use self-harm methods that are more likely to be fatal, and less likely to seek help.’

This week is Graham Thorpe’s His wife Amanda and their two daughters Kitty, 22, and Emma, ​​19, have spoken about his mental health – and their hope that his battles on and off the field will continue to inspire him.

Mrs Thorpe said: ‘Despite having a wife and two daughters who he loved and who loved him, he did not get better. He had been so ill recently and he really believed that we would be better off without him and we are devastated that he acted on that and took his own life.’

His two daughters said he rarely spoke of his legendary status as a cricketer, telling them he would ‘hit a ball back and forth a bit’ and how he loved his family and ‘would dance anywhere and on anything’.

“That’s the Graham I know and remember and love. Graham was a free spirit. My favorite memory of him is in Barbados, where he loved, enjoying a rum punch and listening to his favorite reggae after a swim. He was handsome, so handsome. He was funny and he made us all laugh so much,” Mrs Thorpe told this to Michael Atherton of The Times, his friend and former England team-mate.

An estimated Every year, 6,000 Britons and 48,000 Americans commit suicide.

The number of suicide attempts is estimated to be 10 to 20 times higher than these figures.

The latest ONS data shows that there were 5,642 suicides in England and Wales in 2022, equating to around 10.7 deaths per 100,000 population.

About three in four (74.1 percent of all suicides) involved men.

Among men and women, people aged 50 to 54 had the highest suicide rate, at 15.2 deaths per 100,000.

As with men, the suicide rate is highest among women aged 45 to 64, at 6.7 deaths per 100,000.

• For confidential support you can call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here for details