Men Get Depressed, but It Is Often Overlooked

Abstract

Are women more depressed than men? Research shows that women are more likely to experience what is known as "internalizing" kinds of symptoms such as depression and anxiety, conditions in which symptoms are thought to be turned against the self. The same line of research shows that men are more likely to experience "externalizing" kinds of symptoms (turned outward), which involves things like anger and aggression, and men are also more likely to abuse substances. By the numbers, this is true. Even though it is diagnosed less often in men, millions of them experience depressive symptoms each year. And men are often lost in the conversation.