Reducing Suicide Risk for Men Through Workplace Support – with Susie Bennett

Reducing Suicide Risk for Men Through Workplace Support - with Susie Bennett

Welcome to another episode of Kara Connect, where we explore how better conversations create better workplaces.

Our guest today is Dr. Susie Bennett, research fellow at the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, University of Glasgow. Susie’s work examines the complex social, cultural, and workplace forces that shape male suicide risk, and the practical steps organisations can take to support men’s mental health and recovery.

In this episode, Susie brings her experience from frontline research, sharing stories and evidence about why men remain disproportionately affected by suicide, the role of masculinity and culture, and how workplaces can create genuine psychological safety.

The conversation is candid and deeply informed, offering HR leaders and people managers a nuanced perspective on addressing male mental health in organisational settings.

Listeners will gain a practical understanding of the barriers preventing men from seeking support, actionable approaches for creating trust and authenticity in the workplace, and insight into how leadership and HR can foster environments where wellbeing is accessible and meaningful for all employees.

Discussion highlights:

• The “symphony of sorrow”: complex interplay of risk factors behind male suicide
• The three notes of pain: relationships with others, self-worth, and emotional regulation
• How cultural norms of masculinity impact men’s ability to seek help and connect
• Emotional suppression and loneliness among men in the workplace
• The empathy gap: why male pain is often overlooked or misunderstood
• The role of authenticity in workplace wellbeing – why superficial support undermines trust
• Practical examples of community-led interventions and peer support
• Barriers to accessing mental health care, including motivation, opportunity, and capability
• The importance of tailored research: listening directly to men in the workplace
• Excavating gender biases and why awareness is essential for HR professionals
• Steps employers can take to build psychological safety and normalise open dialogue
• Strategies for supporting men through crisis, from everyday regulation to crisis planning
• The value of lived experience in opening up honest conversations
• How meaningful connection and purpose anchor wellbeing strategies

This episode is packed with insights for HR leaders, people managers, and anyone committed to supporting male wellbeing at work. Susie’s reflections challenge us to move beyond assumptions, listen more deeply, and foster cultures that genuinely meet diverse needs.

For show notes and free bonus resources, visit www.KaraConnect.com/podcast.

About Kara Connect

Wellbeing at work begins with meeting your team’s needs on their terms. With Kara Connect’s Wellbeing Hubs, your employees are free to choose from 3000+ expert practitioners to support their mental health and Wellbeing. Because when your employees feel better, your company does better.

Our mission is to make it easy for your employees to manage their wellbeing through direct access to best-in-class support. Whenever they need it.

Learn more at www.KaraConnect.com.