MEN MAY STRUGGLE AS THEY AGE:

Depression is ubiquitous among aging men. It affects approximately 13% of all men during their lifetime, with rates increasing with age to 40% of men between 40–60 years of age.

This age-worsening factor is reflected in suicide rates that triple in midlife and reaches 4–10 times the rate of females in geriatric men. These extremely high suicide rates are independent of culture as the World Health Organization has reported very high suicide rates in men over 75 years of age in all reporting countries but one.

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSED MEN:

Depression appears to present differently in men than in women. Men tend to have more:

• irritability
• anger
• insomnia

Men are also more likely to deny their depression and act it out with aggressive behavior or alcohol abuse.

Shame and stigma are overrepresented in male depression. Men tend to withdraw socially and emotionally. It would be fair to suspect depression in men with the three A’s—anger, alcohol abuse, and anhedonia (loss of pleasure in previously pleasurable activities).  As one of my patients so eloquently summed it up, “I don’t get depressed— I get drunk and then I get even!”

RISK FACTORS FOR DEPRESSION IN MEN:

The risk factors for male depression include:

• a positive family or personal past history of depression
• drug and alcohol abuse
• presence of chronic illness
• decreased sexual potency
• work stress and marital problems.

TREATING DEPRESSED MEN:

Men are more difficult to recruit to active treatment because of the denial of symptoms or minimization of impact of the illness.

However, men are often motivated to comply with treatment when they realize the positive effects that treating depression can have on chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. Improved earning ability and improved sexual functioning can be motivating factors for treatment.

Michael R. Lyles, M.D., is an American Associatio of Christian Counselors Executive Board Member, and is in private practice with Lyles & Crawford Clinical Consulting in Roswell, Georgia.

Learn more about Michael R. Lyles here.