Unleashing a man's dark night of the soul : masculine socialization, depression and help-seeking behaviour

Abstract

The present study was mainly concerned with the interplay of socialization and gender role conflict with both depression and help-seeking behaviour in men. It was an attempt to understand the meaning of being a man and seeking help for depression. A qualitative stance was employed and data was obtained through the use of semi-structured interviews. The sample consisted of five males, all of whom experienced depressive episodes. Three of the participants were not diagnosed with depression at the time the interview took place whilst the other two participants were still on treatment. The findings suggest that socialization, internalizations of notions of masculinity and gender role conflict played an intricate part in the participants' experience of depression and help-seeking behaviour. Emotionality and the ability to relate with others were the main socialization factors that affected the participants' experiences. This is because these were related with the ability to seek support and help during depression. Lack of strength and the inability to take control, as well as stigma were identified as the main factors that proved difficult for these men to accept. The difficulties of significant others in the participants' life to understand what they were going through also gives rise to the need of awareness and professional services to further assist men unleash from their dark night of the soul.