Macho men opening up about depression
Anchor Magazine
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Men are becoming more willing to talk about emotional problems like depression, but many refuse to seek help in the form of medication, say researchers who are looking into how ideas about masculinity are affecting male health.
Several studies are being done by researchers at the University of British Columbia. “We're looking at men’s health in a new way, by trying to understand some of their health behavior in relation to masculinity,” Joan Bottorff, a professor in UBC’s school of nursing, said Thursday. “It provides a different way of looking at men’s health and therefore opens up some new avenues for promoting men's health.”
Depression, heart health, quitting smoking and sexual health are four areas of research being examined at a forum Friday as part of UBC’s Celebrate Research Week. The researchers all work at UBC’s school of nursing.
John Oliffe is investigating depression in men and the strategies they use to cope with their depression.
“The interesting piece around men’s depression is that men are diagnosed at half the rate of women,” Oliffe said. “But their suicide rate is four times that of women.” Men tend to “self-manage” their depression with alcohol, drugs or violence, which is sometimes directed at their partner or spouse, he said.
Oliffe said many men are unwilling to take antidepressants, but there is an increasing willingness to talk about their depression. “That's new. There seems to be an emerging interest, particularly among younger and middle-aged men, to be involved in talk therapy,” he says. “We’re finding that there’s a real willingness to either talk with peers—other men who might be having issues—or professional counselors.”
Anchor Magazine
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Men are becoming more willing to talk about emotional problems like depression, but many refuse to seek help in the form of medication, say researchers who are looking into how ideas about masculinity are affecting male health.
Several studies are being done by researchers at the University of British Columbia. “We're looking at men’s health in a new way, by trying to understand some of their health behavior in relation to masculinity,” Joan Bottorff, a professor in UBC’s school of nursing, said Thursday. “It provides a different way of looking at men’s health and therefore opens up some new avenues for promoting men's health.”
Depression, heart health, quitting smoking and sexual health are four areas of research being examined at a forum Friday as part of UBC’s Celebrate Research Week. The researchers all work at UBC’s school of nursing.
John Oliffe is investigating depression in men and the strategies they use to cope with their depression.
“The interesting piece around men’s depression is that men are diagnosed at half the rate of women,” Oliffe said. “But their suicide rate is four times that of women.” Men tend to “self-manage” their depression with alcohol, drugs or violence, which is sometimes directed at their partner or spouse, he said.
Oliffe said many men are unwilling to take antidepressants, but there is an increasing willingness to talk about their depression. “That's new. There seems to be an emerging interest, particularly among younger and middle-aged men, to be involved in talk therapy,” he says. “We’re finding that there’s a real willingness to either talk with peers—other men who might be having issues—or professional counselors.”
