Intervention among Suicidal Men: Future Directions for Telephone Crisis Support Research

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Suicidology
• Crisis Intervention

Background:

• Telephone crisis support is vital for suicide prevention.
• Limited research exists on supporting suicidal men via helplines.
• Addressing service delivery for men in suicidal crisis is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• Highlight the need for improved service delivery for suicidal men.
• Examine challenges in current telephone crisis support research for men.
• Propose strengthening understanding of helpline roles for suicidal male callers.

Main Methods:

• Perspective article identifying research gaps.
• Analysis of the context of telephone crisis support.
• Examination of help-provision impact on male callers.

Main Results:

• Current research on telephone crisis support for suicidal men is limited.
• The time- and information-poor context impacts staff identification and response.
• Understanding of helpline effectiveness for suicidal men requires further examination.

Conclusions:

• There is a need to address service delivery for suicidal men.
• Further research should explore the impact of context on crisis support for men.
• Enhanced understanding can improve telephone crisis support for suicidal men.