A qualitative investigation of depression in men.

Abstract

This study employed grounded theory methodology to analyze men's' descriptions of their experiences of depression. The sample included 15 male participants between the ages of 24 and 75. After completing a brief screening process, participants attended an interview lasting between 45 and 90 minutes. Eight participants attended follow-up interviews lasting between 15 and 45 minutes. Interview questions were developed by a six-member research team and were designed to elucidate the participants' signs and symptoms of depression, their help-seeking processes, and their experiences with treatment and recovery. Results yielded 10 primary themes that captured the distinct ways the men identified, experienced, and managed their depression. A model for men's experiences of depression was developed. The results of this study are discussed in the context of existing research on depression in men. Recommendations for future research on men's depression, as well as suggestions for clinical practice with men are also presented.

‘I was so done in that I just recognized it very plainly, “You need to do something”’: Men’s narratives of struggle, distress and turning to meditation

“…In light of promising studies suggesting that some men are able to cope adaptively with difficult emotions, more research is needed to explore how they are able to do so (Chuick et al, 2009). Research into men's constructive engagement with their mental health is generally limited to coping with depression or cancer, with assessment of engagement often confined to help-seeking (Ridge et al, 2011).…”

Men's Views on Depression: A Systematic Review and Metasynthesis of Qualitative Research

“…Male gender norms were frequently described as a consequence of traditional masculine gender socialization [26][27][28][29][30] , and many respondents were aware of the adverse effects of these -often unrealistic -male role expectations and social pressures to perform well as family providers, fathers, partners or "good workers" on their mental health [22,26,27,[30][31][32][33][34][35] . Men reported on deviations from male gender role expectations having been met with homophobic insults during childhood and located the origin of their emotional problems in their childhood or teenage years when, in a macho context, they were bullied by being labeled as "unmanly" or "weak" or were bullies themselves [31,36,37] .…”

Suicide From the Perspectives of Older Men Who Experience Depression

“…Despite often experiencing significant suffering, men tend to internalize, suppress and/or deny emotional distress (Cantor & Slater, 1995;Thompson, 2008), a practice that reflects traditional Western masculinity, which avows the display of emotion as decidedly feminine and transgressing masculine ideals (Byrne & Raphael, 1997). It follows that men's suicide rates may, at least in part, reflect the stress of self-and social expectations about embodying traditional breadwinner and family man masculine roles (Chuick et al, 2009). Such interpretations are supported by a study examining older men's suicide notes which revealed guilt, regret, and blame as key themes (Salib, Cawley, & Healy, 2002).…”

“…Health-related stigma whereby a person can be negatively identified and disapproved of because of a mental or physical health issue (Goffman, 1963) can be particularly critical and pervasive for men who are deemed to be personally and morally responsible for their own health and illness (Greaves, Oliffe, Ponic, Kelly, & Bottorff, 2010), and in the specific context of suicide, their own n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5-14 to participants' accounts of their depression. Also highlighted have been recursive relationships between college men's masculinities and depression and how varying configurations of masculinity connect to men's depression triggers, early symptoms, external overflow, and maladaptive coping (Chuick et al, 2009). Social constructionist gender studies have also been used to describe linkages between masculinity and men's depression and suicide.…”