Episode 28

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Published on:

17th May 2023

Prof Jonathan Scourfield - Suicide, Social Work, and Masculinities

Suicide is a major health and wellbeing issue among men, with the UK suicide rate three times higher for men than women. There are clear links to issues of masculinity here, such as pressures on men to never show ‘weakness’ or emotion, or the idea that it is ‘unmanly’ to struggle with one’s mental health or experience failure. However, the situation is complex. Some groups of men are much more likely to take their own lives than others. The factors at play can vary substantially. And whilst they are less likely to die, women appear to be more likely to attempt to take their own lives and experience suicidal thoughts than men. Professor Jonathan Scourfield talks us through these complexities, and helps us to understand what masculinity has to do with suicide.

Towards the end of our conversation, we also talk about other significant aspects of Jonathan’s work in relation to engaging fathers, child welfare, and social work with men more generally. 

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Jonathan Scourfield is a Professor of Social Work in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Cardiff, Wales. He’s also a Deputy Director of CASCADE, the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre. He has conducted an extensive body of research over his career on topics including child and family services, working with men, social work education, identity and religion in children, and suicide and self-harm. 

We cover the following topics in this episode:

  • How accurate it is so say that men are less inclined to seek help (01:23 - 05:38)
  • The range of factors which help to explain suicides among men (05:38 - 10:34)
  • The relevance of feminist theories such as 'hegemonic masculinity' to male suicide, including links with violence and abuse (10:34 - 15:47)
  • The influence of heteronormative pressures on men, and perceptions about mental illness (15:47 - 18:30)
  • Understanding differences in suicide rates among men based on age (18:30 - 22:43)
  • The impact of leaving the workforce on older men (22:43 - 25:03)
  • The role of poverty and economic/geographical inequalities, and how women’s suicides fit into the picture (25:03 - 28:54)
  • The preventative role of social networks, and the influence of gendered cultural scripts (28:54 - 34:26)
  • Pressures faced by families (34:26 - 36:54)
  • The role of the coroner's process (36:54 - 37:45)
  • Policy responses to male suicide in the UK, and what more needs to be done (37:45 - 42:15)
  • Jonathan’s research on engaging fathers in child welfare services (42:15 - 49:26)
  • Contrasts with the ways in which mothers are seen by social services (49:26 - 50:59)
  • The impact that feminism has had on Jonathan (50:59 - 54:13)
  • Recap: Changes in public discourses around men’s mental health, the importance of relationships, the significance of employment to men, prevention efforts, the impact of Covid-19 (54:13 - 01:00:45)

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About the Podcast

Now and Men
Changing Masculinities, Challenging Norms
What role can men play in achieving gender equality?
Why is feminism good for men?
How are rigid ideas about masculinity holding back our lives—and how are people around the world challenging them?

These are the questions at the heart of Now and Men, a podcast hosted by social researchers Dr Stephen Burrell (Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Australia) and Sandy Ruxton (Independent Researcher and Honorary Fellow at Durham University, UK).

We explore masculinity and change in the lives of men and boys today, diving into issues such as gender-based violence, fatherhood, men’s health, politics and the environment. Grounded in feminist thinking, our conversations connect big ideas to everyday experiences—showing how gender shapes all of us, and how men can be part of building a more equal world.

At a time when regressive versions of masculinity are resurging—amplified by political leaders, online influencers, even podcasters—we spotlight the people pushing back. Each episode features inspiring voices working to engage men and boys in positive, transformative ways and imagining feminist futures.

New episodes drop every month. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and join us in exploring what healthy, caring, equitable paths forward can look like for men. Questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you at nowandmen@gmail.com.

About your hosts

Stephen Burrell

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I am a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Melbourne. I'm originally from the UK, and moved to Australia at the beginning of 2024. My research is about men, masculinities, and violence. I am particularly interested in the prevention of men's violence - especially violence against women, and violence against the environment - and promoting care as an alternative. I'm a big fan of feminism, drinking tea, connecting with nature, eating vegan snacks, and listening to heavy metal.

Sandy Ruxton

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Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at Durham University (UK). Independent researcher, expert on men and masculinities. Previous policy work on human rights, children and families, poverty and social exclusion, and asylum and migration. Programme experience with boys and young men in schools, community, and prisons. Steering Committee member, MenEngage Europe. Volunteer for OX4 Food Crew. Chess-player, bike-rider, tree-hugger. Great grandfather edited Boy's Own Paper, but was sacked.