Why Depression Is Underreported In Men

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas Depression is often seen as a problem mainly affecting women. Ironically, that’s one of the reasons why the condition is underreported among men, according to Amit Anand, M.D., a professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner College of Medicine and vice-chair of research at its Center for Behavioral Health. Although women are 70 percent more likely than men to have depression, more than 6 million men in the United States struggle with the condition each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. However, several obstacles prevent many of them from seeking treatment, Anand says. These barriers to care not only affect how men with depression are diagnosed, he says, but also how they are treated. Why Depression Is Underreported Several factors contribute to depression often being unreported and undiagnosed in men. For starters, men who are depressed may not recognize their symptoms. “Women are far more likely to acknowledge that they have depression and seek help,” Anand says. Also, symptoms of depression vary from person to person, and symptoms may not always be obvious, according to NIMH. Complicating matters is that, rather than showing such signs of depression as sadness and crying, men who are depressed often suppress their feelings, reports the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Men and women also have different risk factors for depression that could affect whether they seek treatment, according to a study...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news