Recently single Australian men are seven times more likely to report a suicide attempt, study shows

Men who have recently gone through a breakup are seven times more likely to report a suicide attempt than those who haven’t, a new study shows The Ten to Men project has followed more than 20,000 Australian men and identified the mental health risks in relationship breakdowns, which can include changes in their contact with their children, in their finances, and in their support network. The project, run by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (Aifs), looked at men’s suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts. It found that those who had had a relationship breakdown in the past year (2024-25) were more than twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts in the two weeks before being surveyed compared to those who hadn’t. Almost one in three (30.8%) reported such thoughts, compared to 14.4%. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email The statistics on suicide attempts were even more stark, with men about seven times as likely to report an attempt after a breakup than during a relationship or while already single. Of the men surveyed, 6.8% reported a suicide attempt in the wake of a breakup, compared to 0.9% not dealing with a recent relationship breakdown. That heightened risk continues for years after the breakup and the association remains even after accounting for age, income, employment, social support and prior suicidal thoughts. …