Tuscany men account for 76% of suicides, study shows gender gap in mental‑health access

A regional health report titled “Welfare e salute in Toscana 2025” released by the Agenzia Regionale di Sanità (Ars) reveals that women in Tuscany are twice as likely as men to be treated with antidepressants (10.9% vs 5.7%). The data also show that women tend to seek psychological care earlier, often through primary‑care physicians, while many men only request help after their distress has intensified.

The same report highlights a stark gender disparity in outcomes: psychiatric hospitalisations for males aged 0‑19 reach 92.8 per 10,000 inhabitants, compared with 52.9 for females. Most notably, men account for 76% of all suicides in the region, with higher‑lethality methods across all age groups. Maria Antonietta Gulino, president of the Order of Psychologists of Tuscany and of the National Council of the Order of Psychologists, stresses that cultural stigma around male vulnerability delays intervention and calls for stronger prevention and early‑detection measures.