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Many men need push to admit depression, experts say 2003-04-01 - New York (Reuters Health) - Because it might be hard for guys to admit they're feeling blue, the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) is aiming to raise awareness that men suffer from depression, too. In a campaign launched Tuesday, the NIMH, part of the National Institutes of Health, is encouraging depressed men to seek help. About six million men are diagnosed with clinical depression each year, but research shows they are less likely to recognize the symptoms and seek treatment than women are. They are also four times more likely than women to kill themselves. "For generations men have been told that they have to act tough," U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said in a statement from the NIMH. "Today we're saying to men, it's okay to talk to someone about what you're thinking, or how you're feeling, or if you're hurting." In the public education campaign, dubbed "Real Men, Real Depression," Carmona said, health officials are "attacking the stigma that tough guys can't seek help. They can and they should." The campaign includes a series of public service announcements featuring men telling their personal stories about dealing with depression. Studies show depression affects women about twice as much as men, but the sexes respond differently to the disorder. While women tend to talk about the symptoms and get help, men often do not, according to the NIMH. Men may overlook the common symptoms of depression, such as irritability, sleep problems, withdrawal and loss of interest in hobbies and work. "The hope here is to address men who have depression. Men who may not even recognize that depression is the problem or that much can be done to help them," Dr. Thomas Insel, NIMH director, said in the statement. He said effective treatments are available and are successful more than 80 percent of the time. When men get depressed, they are more likely to seek solace in drugs and alcohol, or to become discouraged, frustrated or angry, according to the NIMH. And some men "throw themselves" into their work or hobbies, in an attempt to hide their feelings from themselves and others. "We need to understand how men respond to stress and symptoms associated with depression, and how to alert physicians to better recognize and treat depressive disorders in men," Dr. Dennis Charney, chief of the NIMH's mood and anxiety disorders program, said. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to visit the NIMH Web site (www.nimh.nih.gov) for more information. Reuters Limited. janet paterson: an akinetic rigid subtype, albeit primarily perky, parky pd: 56-41-37 cd: 56-44-43 tel: 613-256-8340 email: [log in to unmask] my newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newvoicenews/ my website: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn