Officials: Men Should Discuss Depression
By Associated Press

April 1, 2003, 9:45 AM EST

WASHINGTON -- In a society that emphasizes men being rugged and strong,
it's tough for a guy to admit to being depressed, but the National
Institute of Mental Health wants that to change. 

The agency, one of the National Institutes of Health, launched a
campaign Tuesday to raise awareness that men, too, suffer from
depression and that they need to seek help. 

About 6 million men have clinical depression, but research shows they
are less likely to seek treatment than do women. One result is that men
are suicide victims about four times more often than women. 

"For generations men have been told that they have to act tough," U.S.
Surgeon General Richard Carmona said in a statement. "Today we're saying
to men, it's OK to talk to someone about what your're thinking, or how
you're feeling, or if you're hurting." 

The new public health campaign, said Carmona, is "attacking the stigma
that tough guys can't seek help. They can and they should." 

Called "Real Men, Real Depression," the campaign will include a series
of television, print and radio public service announcements featuring
people telling their personal stories about how they confronted their
own depression. The campaign will not use actors, but ordinary people
who had problems, the agency said. 

Studies show that depression affects women about twice as often as men,
but the two genders respond differently to the serious health problem.
Women tend to talk about the symptoms and seek treatment, while men do
not, the NIMH said. 

Men tend not to recognize that some health symptoms may be caused by
depression. Signs of depression include irritability, poor sleep, loss
of interest in work or hobbies, and withdrawal. Depression is often a
major factor in suicides. 

"Men may not even recognize that depression is the problem or that much
can be done to help them," Dr. Thomas Insel, head of NIMH, said in a
statement. "Effective treatments are available and the success rate is
very high -- more than 80 percent -- for people who seek help." 

When depression strikes, men are more likely to seek relief with drugs
or alcohol, or to become frustrated and angry. Some respond with
compulsive work or attention to hobbies. Others may engage in reckless
behavior. 

"We need to understand how men respond to stress and symptoms associated
with depression and how to alert physicians to better recognize and
treat depressive disorders in men," Dr. Dennis Charney, chief of the
NIMH mood and anxiety disorders program, said in a statement. 

* __ 

On the net: 

MIMH: www.nimh.nih.gov 
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press

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