The Male Experience of Depression

TOPIC: Men's lived experience of depression METHODS: A qualitative study using grounded theory (N = 14). FINDINGS: The men interviewed experienced rigid, traditional role identities; expectations related to performance; emotional distance from others; the loss of control; the hidden self; depression as a force; substance use and abuse; suicide as a means of taking control; and late entry into treatment. CONCLUSION: Beliefs about being male are challenged by the illness, and challenge the process of treatment and recovery.