Men, depression, and coping: Are we on the right path?

Abstract

Knowledge about proactive strategies that men use to cope with depression and suicide is limited. This narrative review aims to provide an overview and critical appraisal of qualitative studies investigating men’s accounts of strategies used to cope with depression and/or suicidal behavior. A search was conducted of relevant databases to identify qualitative (both pure and mixed method) investigations of men’s experiences of depression and suicidal behavior, as well as the strategies used by men to cope with these experiences. The rigor and validity of studies was assessed using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist. Included studies were reviewed and synthesized using the narrative methodology. Twenty studies met inclusion criteria, with 17 specifically focused on men’s accounts of depression and/or suicide, examining the topic from a masculine perspective, and 3 that addressed gender differences in coping strategies incidental to their primary aim. Specifically “masculine” methods of coping with negative feelings overwhelmingly focused on unhelpful behaviors, such as use of drugs, risk taking, irritability, and emotional withdrawal. There was limited reporting or exploration of “positive” or adaptive coping behaviors. Current qualitative studies have tended to focus on men’s unhelpful behaviors in relation to depression. Rigorous qualitative studies exploring positive strategies used by men to cope with depression are needed so that targeted public health campaigns can be disseminated.

Symptom endorsement in men versus women with a diagnosis of depression: A differential item functioning approach

“…Depressed men's higher likelihood of reporting alcohol and substance misuse may be related to men's general higher incidence rates of alcohol and substance misuse in comparison to women (Brady and Randall, 1999;Kessler et al, 1994). Alternatively, it is possible that alcohol and substance misuse is more intimately linked to depression in men, as a way of self-medication or coping, than in women (Whittle et al, 2015). Differential societal pressures and expectations for men and women are also likely to play a role in the perception and expression of symptoms (Danielsson & Johansson, 2005;Emslie et al, 2006;Ridge, Emslie, & White, 2011).…”

Conflict in Men’s Experiences With Antidepressants

“…Both this review and other research indicates that men continue to hide their depression in public suggesting there may be a difference between the legitimacy they allow their distress in private and what they consider to be socially acceptable (Spendelow, 2015;Whittle et al, 2015). This suggests that dominant masculinity remains an important point of reference for the way in which men negotiate their experience of depression-even when they cannot, or do not wish to, aspire to this idealized representation of who they should be as men (Galasinski, 2008).…”

Externalizing depression symptoms among Canadian males with recent suicidal ideation: A focus on young men

“…Recent systematic reviews (eg, Seidler, Dawes, Rice, Oliffe, & Dhillon, ; Whittle et al, ) and epidemiological and meta‐analytic studies provide support for consideration of externalizing symptoms as part of the diagnostic profile of depression in men (Cavanagh, Wilson, Kavanagh, & Caputi, ; Martin, Neighbors, & Griffith, ). Further, longitudinal cohort research has suggested that a more inclusive conceptualisation and assessment approach may enable better identification of mental illness in at‐risk individuals (Caspi et al, 2013).…”