Preventing Suicide in Michigan Men

Abstract

Preventing Suicide in Michigan Men (PRiSMM) is a 5-year CDC grant funded program aimed at reducing suicide in men ages 25 and older. To achieve this goal, MDHHS has implemented a comprehensive, multi-sector partnership and action plan that targets the male population in the state. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in Michigan and men are more than 3 times as likely to die by suicide than women. Adult men accounted for 67% of suicide deaths in the state of Michigan during the years 2009 – 2018. These statistics are likely due to the stigma that exists around men seeking mental health treatment. Men who embrace gender norms are reluctant to acknowledge emotional issues, and therefore are less likely to seek help for depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Because of this, it is important to reduce stigma, promote mental wellbeing, and ensure that men in Michigan have access to the help and resources they need.

The Preventing Suicide in Michigan Men project, led by MDHHS’s Injury and Violence Prevention Section, in strong collaboration with University of Michigan’s Injury Prevention Center, the University of Maryland Baltimore’s Man Therapy Michigan team, Central Michigan University College of Medicine’s Interdisciplinary Center for Community Health & Wellness, Henry Ford Health System, and Michigan’s Departments of Veterans Affairs and Corrections, will work to reduce suicide in Michigan men by 10% over the course of the next 5 years.

Read the Preventing Suicide in Michigan Men white paper here.