Zero Male Suicide: Resources for Self-Help

International Men's Day 2023

Long-haul trucking is a challenging profession marked by extended distances and isolation. Truckers frequently face separation from their families and homes, and their compensation may not always reflect the demands of the job. Distractions such as mobile electronics, online shopping, fast food, substance abuse, or paid sexual services, are all coping mechanisms that reflect a struggle with boredom and a feeling of being disconnected from their usual social environments. Such isolation also leads to ill mental health and sometimes, sadly, suicide.

This International Men’s Day, the theme is Zero Male Suicide which aims to provoke conversation and awareness around the issue, to ultimately prevent it happening in the future. According to ONS data from 1981 to 2021, suicide among males in the UK is far higher than among females, with 15.8 suicides per 100,000 males, compared to 5.5 females in the same amount. (1) These figures are staggering, and we recognise that as the UK’s leading truck manufacturer, a good portion of our almost 350,000 online following is male drivers.
This is a unique position to raise awareness and reach many people who may benefit from this information if not now, then perhaps in the future.

Here is a selection of resources that you can call upon for daily support, or when in crisis. There has been a notable rise in app-based services which are of real benefit for those who find it difficult to talk about their emotions in particular, but please use whichever is most suitable for your level of needs at the time. In a life-threatening emergency, always dial 999 first.