While adding information and citations to the Activism Toolbox (which is here, btw), I ran across this quote from Edwin Shneidman, a prominent suicidologist.

Perhaps - I do not know - any person who commits suicide, at any age, has been the victim of a vandalized childhood, in which the preadolescent child has been psychologically mugged or sacked, and has had psychological needs, important to that child, trampled on and frustrated by malicious, preoccupied or obtuse adults." (Suicidal Mind, p. 163)

If Shneidman is right, our significantly higher suicide rate would indicate that a boy's development is more "trampled on and frustrated" by society than a girl's. Sure enough, boys begin to commit suicide more often than girls around the ages where they are growing into men, looking for role models of masculinity - looking, and finding nothing.

On a lighter note, does this mean women need to "check their privilege" whenever discussing mental health or suicide? Seems fair :)