ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an opportunity to review mental health disparities that specifically affect men within the context of trauma, depression, and suicidal behaviors—with an eye towards understanding how age, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status function as social determinants of mental health for men from varying social contexts, backgrounds, and positionalities. It focuses on age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status as several social determinants that shape men’s disparities related to trauma, depression, and suicide. The chapter proposes that gender also serves as a critical force that impacts experiences, beliefs, and perceptions of mental health, as rates of death by suicide are nearly several times higher among men than they are for women. Suicide is a leading cause of death among men worldwide, yet it remains an understudied topic across many disciplines. Thus, additional inquiry is required to critically assess nuances related to suicide ideation and attempt among men individually and collectively.
