What do counsellors need to know about male depression?

Abstract

Word count: 5726 (including references)This paper has not been published elsewhere and it not under consideration for publication elsewhere.The authors report that there is no conflict of interest in respect of this publication.What do counsellors need to know about male depression? 2 Suggested title: What do counsellors need to know about male depression? AbstractThe lower reported prevalence of depression in men has been related to depression not being as well-recognised in men as it is in women. We sought to understand the clinical under-recognition of depression in men by reviewing some of the key evidence on male depression, concentrating on practices in the UK. Additionally, we aimed to draw conclusions that would contribute to the improvement of health promotion and of the diagnosis for male depression. Our perusal of the available evidence has revealed that some depressed men experience significant difficulties not only in disclosing but also in identifying their depression and that men often exhibit atypical symptoms such as anger. Furthermore, depressed men are often involved in attempts to self-manage their depressive symptoms. This stoic approach compromises the wellbeing of depressed men and it discourages them from accessing appropriate support resources. We conclude with suggestions for practice and research.

Musical engagement and subjective wellbeing amongst men in the third age

“…There are some examples of music therapeutic group activities specifically targeted to men, for instance music listening groups led by a music therapist and with selfchosen music in psychiatry in Denmark (Lund & Fønsbo, 2012), and an Australian project for men, many of whom had problems with anger, alcohol or drug abuse and social withdrawal (Irle & Lovell, 2014), which have been linked to male depression (Athanasiadis et al, 2017;Patrick & Robertson, 2016). These studies show that playing and performing together effectively improved participants' psychological wellbeing regardless of previous musical interest or skills.…”

“…For men, especially, being retired may be experienced as challenging, due to a perceived loss of meaning, identity, position and social networks (Jackson, 2016;Russell, 2004). Men's experiences of wellbeing as retirees are heavily tied to opportunities to redefine their masculine identities, through engaging in activities and interests that they find meaningful (Arber, Davidson, & Ginn, 2003;Athanasiadis, Gough, & Robertson, 2017;Jackson, 2016).…”

Psychometric properties of the Masculine Depression Scale in Turkish male university students

“…24 There are differences be- terms. 25 The results indicate a factor structure similar to the original version. Correlation coefficients calculated for the language validity of the original scale show that the Turkish version of the scale was well understood by the participants.…”

“…Moreover, this may also result from cultural characteristics; as the items of the MDS in the development study measures only the commitment to dominant hegemonic masculinity ideologies defined in Western culture, 10 and the hegemonic masculinity ideologies in the Turkish culture do not correspond with those items and are differently expressed. There are different masculinity forms which can be associated with men's styles of experiencing, expressing, and reacting to depression, and can change in cultural, racial, and ethnic terms 25 . The results indicate a factor structure similar to the original version.…”

Functional Contribution of the Medial Prefrontal Circuitry in Major Depressive Disorder and Stress-Induced Depressive-Like Behaviors

“…In contrast, men often exhibit comorbid substance abuse including alcohol and drugs ( Grant et al, 2016 ; Karpyak et al, 2016 ). Men also display poorer impulse control and increased anger and aggressivity, and are more prone to take risks than women ( Rice et al, 2013 ; Cavanagh et al, 2017 ; Athanasiadis et al, 2018 ). Furthermore, this sexual dimorphism is also observed at the treatment level with studies suggesting better responses in men treated with tricyclic antidepressant drugs (TCA), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) in women ( Kornstein et al, 2000b ; Khan et al, 2005 ; Young et al, 2009 ; Dalla et al, 2010 ), although these findings have been contested ( Thase et al, 2005 ; Sramek et al, 2016 ).…”