Men are nearly three times more likely to take their own life than women. In men under 35, suicide is the second most common cause of death in England and Wales.
One of the reasons more men than women commit suicide is because many men are reluctant to talk about their feelings or to seek help when they need it.
Many men feel that they're expected to cope with problems themselves and that society puts pressure on them to conform to this idea of maleness. Being open about emotional problems is seen by some men as a weakness for which they'd be teased or ridiculed.
Suicide survivor Jude Redmond, 39, from Brighton, says he could not have discussed his depression with his male friends.
"My social life revolved around meeting friends in the pub," he says. "Our sense of humour is based on winding people up and finding a chink in their armour."
Strong and silent
This idea of maleness is communicated to boys at a young age. "The phrase 'boys don't cry' is still used by some people today," says psychotherapist Lucy Beresford.
"Mothers want to raise strong boys. There's a belief that girls can cry, but little boys' tears should be hushed up."
But if you keep quiet, issues can take on an exaggerated importance in your mind and further deepen your anxiety.
"If you can't talk about a problem, it's very hard to put it into perspective, and problems can grow out of proportion in your mind," says Jane Powell, director of the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).
"There's a stereotype that men are supposed to be strong and silent. It's a stereotype that is reinforced daily across society," she says. "Discussing personal issues and how they feel is particularly hard for many men.
"They are reluctant to talk to anyone about issues which affect them, including their wives, and certainly won't talk to their GPs."
Practical help
CALM was founded in response to the high suicide rate among men aged 15 to 35. It has a website and a helpline on 0800 58 58 58.
"CALM is there to give support and practical information and advice," says Powell. "We know that men don't just want support, they want practical help with their problems."
Jude didn’t get professional help. “I thought I’d be alright,” he says. “By the time I realised I needed help, I thought it was too late for anyone to help me.”
Biology
Women, on the other hand, feel a sense of physical release from sharing their emotions, according to Lucy Beresford.
“Men just don't feel that," she says. "They physically don't feel comfortable talking about their emotions."
She says it's due to biology. “When women are under pressure, talking about it and expressing their feelings releases the hormone oxytocin, which makes them feel better,” she says.
"Men don't get that response. Their levels of oxytocin are lower so they don't get the same sense of release.”
Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, agrees. He says men tend to have a lower EQ (emotional intelligence) than women.
“Men may be less able to talk about their feelings, express emotion or seek emotional support when they need it,” he says.
Nurture versus nature
The way many men cope with problems is to avoid or ignore them, often going to the pub with their mates to “drown their sorrows”.
“If you feel there's nowhere else to go and you bury your feelings, the problems can accelerate and you can feel you have no control over events. This can make you feel hopeless," says Professor Cooper.
“But what you need to do is speak to someone who understands what you're going through, who can listen and help you go through your options for dealing with the problem.”
Professor Cooper says gender roles are increasingly blurred and it's becoming acceptable for men to express emotion.
"We have more male role models expressing emotion and society is slowly moving in that direction," he says.
