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Authors
Teresita Morfín López
Luis Miguel Sánchez Loyo
Abstract
Hegemonic masculinity, which emphasizes traits such as emotional stoicism and self-sufficiency has been shown to have a negative impact on men, especially in vulnerable groups such as adolescents, unemployed and/or homeless men and men with mental health problems. Men’s suicide attempt can be understood as the result of failures in various areas of masculinity: romantic, economic, providing and protecting masculinities. The objective of this study was to identify emotions and circumstances related to suicide attempts in young adult men in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (AMG in Spanish), Jalisco, Mexico. Twelve men between the ages of 18 and 45 who had recently attempted suicide in the city of Guadalajara, state of Jalisco, Mexico, participated. Convenience sampling was used. A semi-structured interview was conducted individually. Three categories linked to suicide attempts were identified: a) loss of masculinity, b) causes of the suicide attempt, and c) emotions and suicide attempts. The loss of masculinity in relation to suicide attempts is understood as an act of compensatory masculinity, to which men resort as the only alternative to solve their problems and recover their fragmented masculinity. This is because they are unable to sustain the fundamental beliefs of hegemonic masculinity, such as being a good provider and restricting emotional expression. On the contrary, these men perceive themselves as incapable of being providers, with great intolerable emotional conflicts and emotional expressions that do not correspond to their gender role. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating
the construction of new masculinities as forms of prevention and care for suicide attempts in men.
Keywords
References
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