Features of Male depression

• Male depression may often go undiagnosed.
• Men and women may experience different depression symptoms
• Men with depression are more likely to die by suicide than are women with depression
• Men may need an emphasis on learning healthy coping skills

Male depression may not be as widely recognized as female depression, and therefore men with depression may go undiagnosed.

The reasons being

• Reluctance to discuss depression symptoms.
• Seeing mental illness as a threat to your masculinity.
• Masking depression symptoms.
• Resisting mental health treatment.

Signs and symptoms more likely to occur with male depression include

• Violent or abusive behavior
• Inappropriate rage
• Escapist behavior, such as overinvolvement in work or sports
• Risky behavior, such as reckless driving.
• Sexual liaisons.
• Alcohol or substance abuse.
• More frequent thoughts of suicide.

Men may be more likely to complete suicide because

• They use methods that are more likely to be lethal, such as guns.
• They act faster on suicidal thoughts.
• They show fewer warning signs, such as talk of suicide.

When you have suicidal thoughts

• Contact a family member or friend.
• Contact a doctor, mental health provider or other health care professional.
• Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
• Go to your local hospital emergency room.

How to tackle this

• Goals. Set realistic goals and prioritize tasks.
• Support. Seek out emotional support from a partner or family or friends. In general, men tend to disregard the value of emotional support in coping with male depression.
• Activities. Engage in activities you enjoy, such as exercise, movies, ball games or fishing.
• Decisions. Delay making important decisions, such as changing jobs, until your depression symptoms improve.