Gendered Manifestations of Depression and Help Seeking Among Men

Keywords

depression, men, gender, help seeking, masculinity

Abstract

Men who do not seek help for mental health problems may experience unnecessary suffering which ultimately affects the well-being of themselves and others. Gendered manifestations of depressive symptoms may play an important role in why some men do not seek help for mental health issues. Using data from 2,382 male respondents in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, the authors examined the relationship that both traditional and male-typical symptoms of depression had on the help-seeking behaviors of men. Traditional symptoms increased the odds of seeking help for depression for all men. Male-typical symptoms, however, did not increase the odds of seeking help for depression or another mental health concern. Both traditional and male-typical symptoms increased the odds of initially seeking help from a medical provider, and men with male-typical symptoms had an overall higher likelihood of seeking help from a medical provider. Consequently, it is important that medical professionals assess for depression even when it is not a presenting concern.

Original Publication Citation

Call, J.B.* & Shafer, K. (2018). “Gendered Manifestations of Depression and Help Seeking Among Men.” American Journal of Men’s Health, 12(1): 41-51.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2015-12-31

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7220

Publisher

American Journal of Men's Health

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Sociology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS