Article. Published on May 10, 2018.
In the year 2015, 322 million people were said to have suffered from Depression. These figures are only expected to rise in the coming future. According to the WHO, because disorders such as depression and anxiety have lower level of recognition and access to aid, there is a global loss of one trillion US dollars every year. Men tend to be diagnosed with depression less often than women. While this could partly be attributed to genetics and biology, there are other reasons, as seen below, as to why men are not diagnosed with depression as often as women.
Failure to recognize symptoms of depression in men: Men are often less likely to be diagnosed with depression because it is more likely to manifest with different primary symptoms:
- Physical symptoms: such as back aches, frequent headaches, digestive problems, tiredness, sleep issues and sexual dysfunction. These symptoms are largely psychosomatic, i.e., they are physical problems that are caused due to mental distress, in this case, due to depression.
- Anger: Men are more likely than women to express anger and irritability when suffering from depression. Sometimes, this anger could turn violent, and in a few extreme cases, the person suffering from depression may become abusive.
- Reckless behaviour: Men suffering from depression may exhibit risky behaviour such as substance abuse or engage in activities that could potentially expose themselves or other people to harm. Men with depression are also likely to suffer from a co-occuring substance abuse disorder.
Recommended treatment for these complaints is likely to focus on alleviating the symptoms rather than addressing the underlying issue. In this case, the focus would be on treating headaches or substance abuse instead of treating the underlying depression.
