Cosa Salverà gli Uomini dal Suicidio? – Parte VIII

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Suicidi per Motivi Economici, Pressione a Mantenere e Assenza di Casalinghi Uomini

Fattori Economici e Pressione a Mantenere

Secondo Andoh-Arthur e colleghi (2018): “[l]’identità maschile in Ghana è legata al successo economico e alla capacità di soddisfare i bisogni materiali di mogli e figli […].

Non riuscire a soddisfare queste aspettative indebolisce la posizione sociale di un uomo e può contribuire al suo suicidio (Adinkrah, 2014).

Questa visione è presente anche in altri Paesi, come l’Australia (River, 2014), il Regno Unito (Scourfield, Fincham, Langer, & Shiner, 2012), lo Sri Lanka (Samaraweera, Sumathipala, Siribaddana, & Bhugra, 2008) e l’Uganda (Kizza, Knizek, Kinyanda, & Hjelmeland, 2012). […]

Il fatto che la perdita di controllo economico abbia contribuito al suicidio è coerente con un precedente studio condotto in Ghana, secondo il quale alcuni uomini hanno messo in atto comportamenti suicidari per affrontare la vergogna di non essere in grado di svolgere i ruoli economici socialmente prescritti (Adinkrah, 2012)”.

Secondo Whitley (2021c): “[d]isoccupazione, lavoro precario e stress lavorativo sono tutti fattori di rischio per esiti negativi sulla salute mentale, tra cui depressione, abuso di sostanze e suicidio.

Questi fattori di rischio sembrano avere un impatto maggiore sulla salute mentale degli uomini rispetto alle donne.

L’evidenza suggerisce che questa differenza di genere può essere dovuta a tre fattori.

In primo luogo, gli uomini rimangono in genere il principale breadwinner e il loro reddito è essenziale per il sostentamento della famiglia, il che significa che la disoccupazione può avere gravi conseguenze sul loro tenore di vita e sulla qualità della vita.

In secondo luogo, gli uomini tendono a lavorare per un maggior numero di ore non socievoli, il che significa assentarsi dalla famiglia e dagli amici, e a svolgere occupazioni più pericolose e rischiose, il che significa una maggiore esposizione a condizioni psicosociali o fisiche pericolose sul posto di lavoro, che possono creare stress e tensione lavorativa.

In terzo luogo, […] la disoccupazione maschile rimane fortemente stigmatizzata.”

Che la disoccupazione maschile rimanga fortemente stigmatizzata è evidente dal numero di casalinghi uomini rispetto alle casalinghe donne.

Finché, infatti, il numero non sarà paritetico, vi sarà sempre una maggiore pressione maschile a mantenere la famiglia e i figli.

Secondo Ammari & Schoenebeck (2016), infatti “i papà casalinghi sperimentano ancora” un grave e intenso “isolamento e giudizio nei loro ambienti offline”.

Per questo motivo, gli uomini che perdono il lavoro hanno maggiore possibilità delle donne di diventare senzatetto o di essere costretti a fare lavori faticosi, usuranti o rischiosi, aumentando così la possibilità di infortuni o morti sul lavoro.

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