Gender differences in depression and male depression: A social psychological review

Abstract

A vast amount of work on depression exists and, according to Leader (2008), comments on depression can be found everywhere: on films and television, in GP’s referral letters, in magazine articles and celebrities’ interviews. It is of no surprise then that depression is considered by some as ‘the common cold of mental health’ (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2006, p.1). Rowe (2003) argues that depression is an experience that more or less everyone has felt at times. Terms such as ‘being down in the dumps’, ‘having a low mood’, ‘being fed up’, ‘feeling down’ or simply, as ‘having the blues’ are commonplace. In this review, views on the nature and definition of depression, gender differences in depression, and the unique nature of male depression are critically discussed.