What Are the Causes of Male Depression?

Male depression often is overlooked because men do not talk about emotions and feelings as commonly as women do. As a result, depression can fall under the radar and it is hard for a man to know if he's depressed.

Significance

• Often, men are looked at as the "strong, silent types," and it is this type of stigma that makes men shy away from discussion. Men do not want to a show weakness or look defeated. Men tend to talk about the physical rather than the emotional and might say, "I am tired" instead of saying, "I feel sad."

Relationships

• Relationships are the most common cause of male depression. Men try to avoid argumentative situations. If only one person in the relationship is doing all the talking, the relationship tends to get stuck. This causes nagging, so men withdraw more. The more withdrawn he is, the more depressed he will become.

Seperation and Divorce

• Men are natural born leaders. When family crumbles apart, so does the leadership ability. Depression can be powerful in this situation. Men are much more prone to suicide when separation and divorce occur.

Pregnancy and Children

• During pregnancy, a woman goes through physical changes that often result in a lack of sex. This or the mother spending more time with children than with her partner can cause men to have depression episodes. If men are with a partner who is depressed, he may end up with depression as well.

Unemployment

• If a male is fired or laid off from work, he begins to worry. Men often are looked upon as the breadwinners for their family. This worry often becomes overwhelming when thinking about bills, groceries and finding another job, and depression can occur.