In most developed international locations, demise by suicide is extra frequent in males than females, at round a thrice larger price (Lengvenyte et al, 2021; Turecki et al, 2019; Fazel et al, 2020). Regardless of the disparity in charges of suicide, analysis and subsequent interventions haven’t led to important developments within the capacity to foretell suicide, nor adequately intervene.
A overview of qualitative research from Bennett et al (2023, earlier Psychological Elf weblog) highlighted that understanding masculine norms could also be a key think about male suicide prevention. Inside this, interpersonal disconnection, isolation and loneliness, and interpersonal challenges and dysregulation have been highlighted as key themes that had been reported all through the literature. Many of those associated to relationship troubles or breakdowns. A second systematic overview, exploring these associations quantitatively, had related findings (Richardson et al, 2021, earlier Psychological Elf weblog) suggesting the absence or breakdown of a romantic relationship could also be a threat issue for future suicide threat.
This weblog summarises a current systematic overview (Wilson et al, 2025) aiming to synthesise proof on associations between relationship breakdowns and the chance of suicidal ideation, suicidal try and demise by suicide in males.
May relationship breakdowns be a threat issue for suicide in males?
Strategies
The authors used a number of databases (APA PsycInfo, Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Net of Science, ProQuest Central) to seek for papers investigating suicidal ideation, tried suicide or demise by suicide in males following a relationship breakdown. Wilson et al looked for papers after the yr 2000 to discover up to date proof. Searches have been up to date in October 2023 to make sure proof was updated.
Research have been included in the event that they met the next eligibility standards:
- Had been of any methodological methodology or research design carried out in any nation
- Had been carried out in males (inclusive of transgender males) or had gender particular analyses
- Reported associations between indicators of relationship breakdown and suicidal ideation, suicide try, or demise by suicide
- Had been revealed in a peer-reviewed journal in English (unpublished literature not included in overview)
Two instruments have been used to evaluate the standard of the research included; one for quantitative strategies (Nationwide Coronary heart Lung and Blood Institute) and the opposite for qualitative research (Crucial Appraisal Expertise Programme). Full-text screening, knowledge extraction and research high quality have been carried out by one creator solely, with twin screening carried out for 30% of the full information on the title and summary stage. Authors of every paper have been contacted to determine eligibility or present further knowledge, the place obligatory.
Three separate random-effects meta-analyses have been carried out, one for every consequence (lifetime suicidal ideation, lifetime suicidal try, demise by suicide). A variety of sub-group meta-analyses have been additionally carried out. Narrative synthesis was additionally used to explain the research, in addition to potential moderating variables investigated within the research.
The overview adopted related reporting tips and the protocol was preregistered on PROSPERO (CRD42022360410).
Outcomes
75 research (inhabitants = 106,719,740) met inclusion standards, with 29 research (inhabitants 103,732,942) having enough knowledge to be included within the meta-analysis. Research have been principally cross-sectional (43%) and utilised quantitative strategies (93%). Findings from every meta-analysis may be seen within the desk beneath:
| End result | Variety of research (impact estimates) | Outcomes |
| Suicidal Ideation | 5 (7) | Separated or divorced males have been 1.64 occasions extra prone to report suicidal ideation relative to married males.
Pooled odds of suicidal ideation amongst separated/divorced males in Asian cultures didn’t differ considerably from separated/divorced relative to married males in Western cultures. |
| Suicidal try | 8 (8) | Divorced males have been 1.73 occasions extra prone to try suicide relative to married males.
When research that mixed divorced males and separated males, there was weak proof that the pooled odds of lifetime suicide try elevated in comparison with married males. While there was sturdy proof for affiliation when analyzing unadjusted estimates, there was weak proof for associations when together with simply estimates with adjustment for sociodemographic variables and a minimum of one indicator of psychiatric morbidity with odds attenuated in the direction of the null. Odds of suicide try amongst separated/ divorced versus married males didn’t differ between Asian and Western cultures. |
| Dying by suicide | 22 (56) | Divorced males have been 2.82 occasions extra prone to die by suicide than married males.
Compared to married males, youthful divorced males have been extra prone to die by suicide than older divorced males. Adjusting for a spread of confounders attenuated the associations for divorced males versus married males. Divorced males in Asian cultures have been 4.18 occasions extra prone to die by suicide than married males, larger than these of divorced males in Western cultures, who had 2.56 occasions larger odds of suicide. Separated males have been 4.82 occasions extra prone to die by suicide relative to married males. Youthful separated males (≤34 years) exhibited over eight occasions the chances of suicide relative to their married counterparts. Separated males have been 1.96 occasions extra prone to die by suicide relative to divorced males. |
Moreover, youthful age (≤34 years), lower than tertiary training, and lack of employment; the recency of relationship breakdown; and psychological elements together with loneliness and isolation, preexisting psychological sickness and underlying vulnerabilities, and disgrace and emotion dysregulation have been discovered to be potential moderating elements of the associations in a few of the research the authors recognized.
The out there proof suggests relationship breakdowns are related to suicidal behaviours in males.
Conclusions
The authors conclude that:
This research solidifies intimate relationship breakdown as a transparent vulnerability marker for suicide in males. Subgroups of males navigating relationship misery and dissolution seem to expertise a disproportionate chance of suicide, notably youthful and acutely separated males, alongside divorced males in Asian tradition.
They add that:
Finally, the top of a relationship ought to by no means imply the top of life, and the normative inevitability of relationship breakdown calls for consideration as an all too-common circumstance of suicides amongst males.
The tip of a relationship ought to by no means imply the top of a life.
Strengths and limitations
One of many main strengths of this overview is that they carried out a meta-analysis to synthesise the research findings, and that they did this for various totally different sub-groups, though some did have restricted numbers, lowering the robustness of the proof.
Likewise, a power of this overview is that it consists of papers of all methodology varieties, and doesn’t restrict to particular geographic areas. Nevertheless, it does prohibit to research solely written in English. Suicide charges are highest in low- and middle- revenue international locations (World Well being Organisation, 2025), the place English is much less prone to be spoken, and by limiting to research in English, it’s doubtless papers have been missed from international locations the place the burden of suicide is highest. The overwhelming majority of research included on this overview are from high-income international locations; this will likely even be resulting from an absence of proof out there. While not a limitation of the overview however of the out there proof, there have been few research included on transgender males, and the position relationship breakdowns play in suicidal behaviors on this inhabitants.
As well as, just one creator carried out the vast majority of the screening and extracting processes; it is suggested that two reviewers do that to make sure all potential research are included. Due to this, some research might have been missed.
The overview principally consists of research from high-income international locations, limiting the generalisability of those findings to different settings.
Implications for observe
This overview has highlighted the elevated threat of suicidal behaviours in males following a relationship breakdown, suggesting it might be an space for intervention improvement and implementation. The authors supply implications for suicide prevention and future analysis.
Nevertheless, whether or not population-based approaches ought to be designed to deal with males in the entire inhabitants after they’ve suffered a relationship breakdown is questionable. How would they be recognized? How would they be focused? And would the profit outweigh the inevitable value of this strategy?
As a substitute, growing abilities and selling coping mechanisms and resilience for difficult features of life might support in suicide prevention after a relationship breakdown, but additionally after many different important life occasions. This might be provided through school-based instructional programmes.
The overview additionally suggests normalising wholesome adjustment to relationship breakdown amongst males might be achieved by public well being campaigns, in addition to enhancing help-seeking behaviours on this inhabitants. If males do search assist publish relationship breakdown, clinicians and different healthcare suppliers ought to be conscious the chance this has for suicidal behaviours, and medical interventions might be developed for these cases.
When it comes to future analysis, the authors recommend additional exploring the moderating results of various variables, each quantitatively and qualitatively. This may permit for the identification of particular teams of males most in danger following a relationship breakdown, indicating teams that might be focused through interventions. The necessity for longitudinal knowledge to discover these interactions quantitatively is highlighted, alongside the necessity for qualitative research to know the complexity and variability of the analysis query. As well as, there was a transparent lack of proof (both resulting from availability or through the search technique) from low- and middle-income international locations. The affect of relationship breakdowns could also be amplified in these international locations as divorce and relationship breakdowns are sometimes extra stigmatised e.g. it’s unlawful within the Philippines, or resulting from larger monetary insecurity in these settings, that means the breakdown has larger sensible and emotional penalties. Stigma of psychological well being issues might additional scale back help-seeking behaviour in males highlighting the necessity for culturally-sensitive interventions.
How will males experiencing a relationship breakdown be recognized and focused in whole-population approaches? As a substitute, we must always deal with fostering resilience which will help buffer the consequences of a relationship breakdown in addition to different distressing life occasions.
Assertion of pursuits
No conflicts of curiosity.
Hyperlinks
Major paper
Wilson, M. J., Scott, A. J., Pilkington, V., Macdonald, J. A., Rice, S. M., Oliffe, J. L., & Seidler, Z. E. (2025). Suicidality in males following relationship breakdown: A scientific overview and meta-analysis of worldwide knowledge. Psychological Bulletin.
Different references
Bennett, S., Robb, Ok. A., Zortea, T. C., Dickson, A., Richardson, C., & O’Connor, R. C. (2023). Male suicide threat and restoration elements: A scientific overview and qualitative meta-synthesis of twenty years of analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 149(7-8), 371–417.
Crucial Appraisal Expertise Program. (2018). CASP qualitative guidelines. https://casp-uk.web/casp-tools-checklists/qualitative-studies-checklist/
Fazel, S., & Runeson, B. (2020). Suicide. The New England Journal of Medication, 382(3), 266–274.
Lengvenyte, A., Conejero, I., Courtet, P., & Olié, E. (2021). Organic bases of suicidal behaviours: A story overview. European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(1), 330–351.
Nationwide Coronary heart Lung and Blood Institute. (2021). Research high quality evaluation instruments. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/study-quality-assessmenttools
Richardson, C., Robb, Ok. A., & O’Connor, R. C. (2021). A scientific overview of suicidal behaviour in males: A story synthesis of threat elements. Social Science & Medication, 113831.
Turecki G, Brent DA, Gunnell D, et al. Suicide and Suicide Threat. Nature Evaluations Illness Primers 2019 5:1. 2019;5(1):1-22
World Well being Organisation. (2025). Suicide. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/element/suicide
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