1. From Blue to You
Men and Depression

2. Vignette
Meet John

3. What’s going on with John?
Trouble sleeping
Over-working
Cannot concentrate or make decisions
Easily overwhelmed at work

4. What’s going on with John?
Angry and irritable
Does not eat/losing weight
Risky behaviors

5. What is depression? A common mental disorder or illness
Involves the body, mood, and thoughts

6. How common is depression?
John is not alone
6 million men
Two-thirds go undiagnosed and untreated
Almost all say it affects their work and home life

7. What are the symptoms? Physical symptoms Emotional symptoms
Psychosocial symptoms

8. Stigma Prevents many men from seeking treatment Societal expectations
Afraid to be viewed as “weak”

9. Treatment There is treatment available for John Talk therapy
Medication therapy
Combination: talk and medication therapy

10. Talk therapy
Address as mental, social, and environmental roots of depression
Involve family
Cognitive behavioral therapy

11. Medication therapy SSRIs Side effects do occur
Talk to doctor about the right choice

12. Combination therapy Talk therapy plus medication
Consistently shown to be most effective

13. Where to go for help
Health care professionals
Social services
Online

14. Where to go for help online
Support groups
Chat rooms
Blogs
Websites

15. If you were John’s family member, how could you help?
Get help
Encourage John to stick with treatment
Offer support
Invite him to do things
Plan and prepare healthy meals
Do not expect a “quick fix”

16. If you think you have depression…
Get help
Don’t bottle things up
Stay active
Eat properly
Avoid alcohol and drugs
Do something you enjoy
Review your lifestyle
Take a break
Don’t get upset if you can’t sleep
Get informed
Don’t bottle things up - If you've had a major upset in your life, try to tell someone how you feel about it.
Keep Active - Get out of doors and get some exercise, even if it’s only a walk. This will help to keep you physically fit and you will sleep better. It can also help you not to dwell unhelpfully on painful thoughts and feelings.
Eat properly - you may not feel very hungry, but you should eat a balanced diet, with lots of fruit and vegetables.
Avoid alcohol and drugs - Alcohol and drugs may make you feel better for a couple of hours, but it will make you more depressed in the long run.
Don’t get upset if you can’t sleep - Do something restful that you enjoy, like listening to the radio or watching television.

17. References
Bailey, D.F. and Moore, J.L. (2008). Emotional Isolation, Depression, and Suicide Among African American Men: Reasons for Concern. Pacific Grove, CA Books/Cole.
Duckworth, K. (2006). About mental illness: Depression. Retrieved from
Kennard, J. (2007). Depression in Men. Retrieved from
Mayo Clinic Staff (2008). Male depression: Don't ignore the symptoms. Retrieved from
Mayo Clinic Staff (2008). Depression. Retrieved from
Mayo Clinic Staff (2008). Depression: Supporting loved ones through their battle with depression. Retrieved from
NIMH (2008). Men and Depression. Retrieved from
Nutrition Health Center (2008). Depression Statistics Information. Retrieved from

18. For More Information… www.bluetoyou.org
Leigh Ann Simmons; MFT, PhD
former Assistant Professor
Department of Family Studies
Ester Edwards, BS
Graduate student
Leslie Crofford, MD
Professor,
College of Medicine
April 2010
Health Education through Extension Leadership
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