Are more and more men suffering from depression these days? If so, what are some of the reasons?

Question

Men and depression- Facing Darkness.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17190411/site/newsweek/

Answer 1

I thik it's all because most of us are forgetting that we are more than robots ...we forget we have something spiritual in us
thinking that in life all that conts is having fun is wrong
one of the reasons could be that we are coming to understand that we need something more than money to feel good ...something like love!

Answer 2

Wish to God that Eve had never eaten that apple - Women seem to get the blame for all men's ills. I feel the need to stand up for my sex.
Studies have shown that men who are single are more likely to be depressed and to die earlier - so its not WOMEN'S fault.
Perhaps more men are being open with their feelings these days - hence the "rise" in figures.
Economic changes has had an effect on both sexes - women don't run economies - so if economic changes have messed with men's psychiques it's not down to women but other men.
There are lots of pressure these days to live up to some idea of perfection - because men find it hard to talk about their inner worries and turmoils this leads to introspection and then to depression.
Depression is a serious illness and cannot be reduced to glib comments about women going out to work/pressurising men etc.

Answer 3

I believe that more men are admitting to depression. It is more understood and less of a stigma to have it, so more men will recognise the symptoms and more will get something done about it when they have it.

And then, society is changing. Parents are busy and do not talk to their kids as much as they used to to give kids a good foundation for emotional growth. Computers do not do the trick. People are using Messenger instead of talking to each other and there is more choice on the telly.

Also, society is very materialistic and if people do not have what they want they may feel they have failed. Or get into debt which is also shameful.

Answer 4

well its mostly typical stuff causing more and more depression; drugs, lack of oppurtunity etc. A young male growing up in todays world is a male that has himself questioning his importance when most of soceity sees him as inferior and or expendable. Women and their rise into power of all our institutions is infecting and lessening the male self esteem. The competitive boystrous nature that practically all boys have is being slowly and cruelly weened and rooted out of all sectors of soceity. That nature is seen as bad and wrong and something that is posessive of lower class or inferior males; not true. The feminisation of schooling is one example an important one. Males are having their very nature supressed and which results in apathy, depression, and hatred from the young male, this is seen by the tecahers and those in power and is further punished but whatever means. So his education is affected not to mention is ability to excel and problem solve later in life.This all makes life seem to the poor boys like a horrid joke in which there is no escape or future, and all the time this new system of feminisation is done with a 'nice smile' on peoples faces.

A major problem this is for soceity and one that is of major cause to its breakdown with the rise in violent crime. Men need to be men.

Answer 5

yes definately. More women are suffering from depression too.
It's all down to higher expectancies. The media and society promotes it and puts so much pressure on people (especially men, who are normally the sole provider) these days.Higher education, Better job, Bigger salary, Flashier car, p.e.r.f.e.c.t wife, extremely priveleged and talented children, the best of everything and nothing short of it or you will be judged. Life these days seems to be just like 'Keeping up with the Jones''. It's almost impossible to get by if you're not in the upper middle-class sector. Life seems to have become about scraping a living rather than living and loving.

Answer 6

I think that there are more men suffering from depression these days and the causes must be ten fold though I think that biggest cause must be stress related:-.

Debt/mortgage;
Family commitments;
Job Insecurity;
Work related problems;
Divorce;
Sickness;

So much pressure on the man these days to perform 100% in all areas. Us women can expect far too much from a man these days. The man also set himself too high a standard and will not see that you cannot be perfect in every field.

Gone are the days when newly married couples could apply for a council house to start them off in married life (thus giving them a chance to save towards the house of their dreams).

Since the Tories introduced the right to buy scheme this has left council housing stocks depleted and are forcing men to take on hugh mortgages which they cannot really afford.

They are many reasons for the increase of ment suffering from depression and I have mentioned but a few.

Answer 7

There are many reasons e.g. the feeling of having no proper role in society, low self-esteem and inadequacy, work-related stress; others have commented on some of these. Here are a few relating to diagnosis:

Men are more willing to admit to having depression than in the past and will go to see their GP.

People have more opportunities to know about the symptoms of depression (e.g. because of magazine articles, TV, books, Internet etc) therefore more people, including men, will seek help.

There is less stigma associated with depression so people, including men, are more likely to seek help.

Men have a greater understanding that the classic 'cures' for depression such as drinking away your problems make things worse, so are more likely to find professional help.

A greater understanding that depression is an illness, not just a weakness.

Women's greater understanding of depression as an illness may help their husbands, boyfriends etc. to seek help.

In all situations where people seek professional help for their problems (other than with alternative therapists) then their data will go into the health statistics - so we know the morbidity data for depression according to age & sex (etc) in different parts of the UK.

It is likely that any estimate of depression in men or women will be an underestimate because (a) many people with symptoms of depression do not seek help from their GP and (b) countless others will go to other kinds of therapists outside the scope of the NHS e.g. psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, counsellors .........etc. [often with excellent results]

Answer 8

Sorry love but I blame the women but also men them selves to some extent.

As the years have gone by the women have forotten or have not learned how to take care of their partners or families. As they become more 'liberal' they loose their morality, to put career before their loved ones, to go out with their male mates leaving their partner too scared to object so they dont loose them or be quoted as 'dictator' of a relationship.

Though I have focused here only barely on the relationship part, it is a serious issue and can lead to depression. Divorce, children work, friends, career, life expectations, rights and limits of actions are all parts which equally play a part to lead on depression if they are not balanced.

Answer 9

Feminism, has undermined the male role in every area of life, from pro-girl anti-boy education from primary school upwards. Left wing feminists run the TV media, education, the Government, the public sector, in fact, everything has been feminised. Women, have infiltrated every last male bastion, where, at one time they could escape for a bit of peace and quiet, eg golf club, the pub (can't even smoke there anymore).

The workplace has also been feminised, so that, if a man so much as looks at a women the wrong way, we are straight into harassment procedures via the personnel dept. which is probably staffed by females.

The family courts are run and strongly influenced by feminists, and, as we all know, are anti-male in their judgements. It seems that, instead of complementing each other, the sexes are now encouraged to compete with each other, as though they are interchangeable units controlled by a socially engineered Communist hierarchy.

We now have confused men and women, having created a ladette culture and one of feckless absent fathers, because fatherhood is discouraged. We are also unsure how to behave toward each other. I think that the greatest single sin caused, or at least encouraged by feminism, is the sheer scale of abortions in this country, encouraged by that immoral and crackpot notion of "the womans right to choose". What right does the child have? It is simply legalised child murder.

So yes, I think that your proposition is true, and the reasons are clear.

Answer 10

It is questionable whether there are more men suffering from depression or whether it is that there are more men reporting themselves (ie seeing their Dr for treatment) as having depression... There could be all sorts of reasons such as it is now more socially acceptable for men "own up" as having depression, more hours spent working to earn more as not only is the cost of living greater but maybe families want more than in previous years (more foreign holidays, more expensive presents?) ... Stress, there could be a whole host of things!

Answer 11

Hello,

(ANS) For most men with regards to their sense of themselves and their masculinity & self identity & purpose in life. When you are in your teens or early twenties, or even early thirties the role models we have for how to be men (i.e. for being male, what consititues a masculinity) are OK! but once you hit thirty plus those role models fail miserably.

Once you realise that these role models are infact empty symbols only & when this happens its extremely common to result in depression.

Men are faced as never before in history with having to re-define themselves, to question what a man is or can become. Men are faced with massive cultural, financial & political & environmental changes and many of the past assumptions nolonger work & Thats yet another reason men find themselves with depression, facing such overwhelming change is challenging in the extreme.

IR