Gordon Deegan
Half of men surveyed as part of a male lifestyle survey undertaken in the Mid Western Health Board region contemplated suicide at one time.
Four per cent actually planned their own suicide, the report to be published today says.
A third of the men believe they have little control over their lives, and that their problems are "insurmountable".
The report on young males' mental health and attitude towards suicide was yesterday described as "frightening and worrying" by a consultant psychiatrist, Dr Moosajee Bhamjee.
Entitled The Male Perspective - Young Men's Outlook on Life Study, the report found that vulnerable males do not generally seek hospital or professional support, even if they harm themselves.
Some 60 per cent of the men surveyed agreed the "lot of the average man" was getting worse.
The report was prepared by the health board in partnership with the National Suicide Group and the National Suicide Research Foundation.
It is to be presented to a meeting of the Mid Western Health Board today.
The assistant chief executuive officer of the board, Mr James Conway, said the rationale for the study was the persistently high rate of suicides among young males.
He pointed out that there had been no study in Ireland that examined the young male's perspective concerning mental health issues.
The report found that just under 20 per cent of males surveyed reported mental health problems in the previous 12 months.
The report states: "Of those that had problems, 70 per cent did not seek help, and only 4 per cent who had problems actually sought professional help."
The report found that males in the discussion groups felt that professional help was seen as a last resort.
Their attitude was that "no matter what the problem is, you can always sort it out yourself".
The survey also found that 70 per cent of men indicated that they had a drink when worried or upset, while the vast majority got angry "at least sometimes".
The report recorded that 60 per cent of the men surveyed said they would turn to their mother for support, while it also found that, of those living with partners, fewer than half stated that they would seek support from their partners.
Dr Bhamjee yesterday described the findings of the report as "worrying and frightening".
He said: "There is an acute need to bring mental health services nearer to these young males. There should be walk-in counselling services, for example."
The president of the Irish Association of Suicidology, Mr Dan Neville TD, welcomed the report, saying there was a lack of research on the issue.
However, he added: "It is vital this report is acted upon. A report without action is a useless document. I am not confident that it will be implemented as psychiatric services are not a priority at this time."