The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is reaching out to educate the public about depression in men through its Real Men. Real Depression. campaign.
Men and Depression
Researchers estimate that more than six million men in the United States have a depressive disorder—about one-third of all adults living with depression in any given year.
However, men are less likely than women to recognize, acknowledge, and seek treatment for their depression. In addition, their loved ones and even their physicians may not always detect depressive symptoms in men.
Depression is a serious medical condition that can affect both men and women. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression.
Research and clinical findings reveal that while both men and women can develop the standard symptoms of depression, they often experience depression differently and may have different ways of coping with the symptoms. Men may be more willing to acknowledge fatigue, irritability, loss of interest in work or hobbies, and sleep disturbances rather than feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and excessive guilt, which are commonly associated with depression in women. Men may turn to alcohol or street drugs when they are depressed instead of seeking appropriate medical treatment. Men with depression may become frustrated, discouraged, angry, irritable and, sometimes, violently abusive. Some men may deal with depression by throwing themselves compulsively into their work; others may respond to depression by engaging in reckless behavior, taking risks, and putting themselves in harm's way. Depression is a risk factor for suicide, and there is an alarming rate of completed suicide among men in the U.S. - particularly older, white men and younger, black men.