Detecting depression in men: A matter of guesswork

This study aimed to investigate the experience of depression, coping, and help seeking from men’s perspectives. A non-clinical sample of male teachers and students was recruited to a series of focus groups. Women were also recruited to determine their perspectives on the symptoms and behavior common in men. Quantitative methods were used to gather sociodemographic and behavioral data, as well as standard measures of mood and dispositional optimism. Qualitative data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The findings suggest that men have been socially conditioned to suppress emotional pain, which is reflected in delayed help seeking. When men do (or are forced to) seek help, presentations of physical illness such as chest pain, or behavior such as deliberate self-harm or drug and alcohol abuse, may mask emotional distress. Any symptoms of depression can be overlooked when men expect physicians to read the signs and symptoms without men having to self-disclose. Emotional distress, left unchecked, can then lead to an escalation of negative affect toward anger. These findings provide an understanding of men’s expression of depression with the aim of assisting physicians to improve detection of depression in men. Key Words: depression; men, focus groups 259 The authors thank the teachers and students of the Institute of TAFE (NSW) who participated in the focus groups. We also thank Dusan Hadzi-Pavlovic for comments on the draft manuscript, Kerrie Eyers for editorial assistance, and Glenda Lawrence for editing the final draft. This study was funded by NH&MR