Breakups are a leading risk factor for suicide in men, and new research from Orygen has explored in depth how social support – or lack thereof – can impact young men’s recovery after the end of a romantic relationship.
The new research, published in Qualitative Health Research, included interviews with 22 Australian men aged 18-30, and found effective social support was key to recovery.
Lead author of the study, Michael Wilson, said that when young men reached out for help after a breakup, they didn’t always find good quality support or advice.
“Many people struggle to respond to men’s emotional expression after a relationship breakup – often leaning on masculine stereotypes that men can, and should, immediately ‘move on’ to someone new,” Wilson said.
“While this advice is common, in many cases it is the exact opposite of the emotional support men actually want and need.”
Wilson said young men were often significantly affected by breakups, but their emotional pain was often exacerbated by the sense that they should not be struggling with their emotions.
"All the young men we spoke to described receiving advice to ‘thug it out’ from their friends, with most being encouraged to ignore their emotional pain and find someone new immediately, rather than taking time for reflection and emotional healing,” Wilson said.
“Our results highlight how much we – as a society – need to learn when responding to young men’s emotional pain, especially following a breakup.
“Brushing aside young men’s emotional pain is not helping anyone, and improving our ability to support young men and respond effectively could be life-saving.”