Teach them that there's nothing wrong with feelings and to not be ashamed about speaking up and asking for help. We tell men they have to be "tough" and "man up" -- that needs to change.

To be sure of causes, we would need to know to what extent this is happening in other cultures. Cultures that emphasis the family, the community, over the individual. The liberal values of the west (free speech, freedom from religion, equal rights,...) are all about the individual.

So, to what extent is our focus individual responsibility and the resulting isolation (especially by the right-religious) is a root cause.

And we must include middle-aged white men coming to grips with lives that included little of what was expected.

"""
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.
"""
Henry David Thoreau

Teaching emotional intelligence. Definitions of different feelings and what to do about them. To stop making men think their worth is directly tied to their bank account, heterosexuality (or sexual conquest success) or penis size.
Making help (long before suicide is an option) available. Whether it is emotional, financial, or just someone acting like they care. If after all that they still want to, there's nothing you can do to prevent it.

And the reason to stop them is?

My son killed himself in 2001 at age 21. He was doing too many pain killers, I found out later. He was angry, unhappy and he hated his life. He ended up hanging himself while I was doing my Sunday visit at my parents house. He planned his death and executed it. I wondered why he couldn't use his intelligence and planning to figure out how to live.

I have known a few young people who have killed themselves.
All girls between 7 and 15. All theists, two by hanging.

The suicide that sticks in my mind is a note from a 7th grade girl, found beneath her hanging body by her friends. It read, "I have killed myself so I can live forever with my dead father and Jesus in heaven."

The other girl who hung herself in an outdoor shelter of the local golf course was younger and a big time church goer. I never found out why she killed herself but I imagine religion may have had something to do with it.

As for boys, A few years back our local public broadcasting aired a story about how a church changed the environment for a Native in regards to accepting gay people. Winkte (pronounced wink tay) is Lakota for gay - traditionally it was an accepted life. When the church became involved, (preaching anti gay) friends of a gay boy became his enemy - they stripped and beat him after school. He killed himself. If memory serves, two boys met similar abuse and both killed themselves

SARCASM ALERT (Thanks Christians)

Removing dishonest and irrational faith (belief without evidence) asserted as truth (demonstrable with evidence) assertions may be a step in the correct direction.

Back in the 80s, I worked as a secretary for a county information and referral agency. They also ran a suicide awareness and prevention program. I underwent the training, and became a volunteer for the crisis-intervention hotline. I totally agreed with the policies they had, and always said that suicide was a permanent solution to what was usually a temporary situation.

Over the subsequent decades, I've really changed how I feel about suicide.

I have come to believe that everyone has the right to end their lives, as they see fit, for whatever reasons they believe they have, whenever they decide the time is right for them.
I don't see suicide as cowardly, or the act of a weak person.
I see it as a final act of bravery of someone who is exhausted from dealing with life, and whatever kind of pain they're in.
I have always believed in complete personal autonomy.
That includes making the decision to end one's life.

I also think the planet is overpopulated, so anyone taking themselves out of the
equation is doing something good for humanity and the planet. I'm not going to
fault anyone for their decision to end their life.

I don't expect anyone to agree with me, which is fine. Everyone is entitled to
think whatever they please.

it is not barely spoken of. the internet is full of stats and studies. how to stop it, i do not know, but i do know it's not a secret.

g