Men's views on depression: A systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative research
Abstract
BACKGROUND: According to the concept of "male depression," depression among men might be underdiagnosed and undertreated because of gender differences in symptoms and coping. There is evidence that men experience atypical depressive symptoms including irritability, aggression, substance abuse, and increased risk behavior. To date, a substantial number of qualitative studies on men's views on depression has been conducted in the last few decades. METHODS: Based on a systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative studies on men's subjective perspectives on depression, we aim at a comprehensive understanding of men's subjective views on depression with a specific focus on masculinity constructions. RESULTS: Based on 34 studies assessed as appropriate for the study, 2 overarching subthemes could be identified: normative expectations regarding masculinity ideals and men's subjective perspectives of depression as "weakness." Men's strategies include denial of "weakness" and "closing up." Further themes include suicide, masculinity ideals as a healthy resource, and alternative masculinities. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: Traditional masculinity values might serve as barriers but also as facilitators to adaptive coping strategies in depressed men. More research is needed to study the dimensions and role of alternative masculinities in the context of depression.
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Men do not necessarily subscribe to traditional ideals but demonstrate alternative forms of masculinity.
“Furthermore, there is some evidence that men do not necessarily subscribe to traditional ideals but demonstrate alternative forms of masculinity (4).”
From Masculinity and Help-Seeking Among Men With Depression: A Qualitative Study (2020) · cites this paper as [4]
Norms concerning masculine roles impact men's attitudes toward depression and help-seeking.
“Results of a systematic review of qualitative studies on men's views of depression confirmed the impact of norms concerning masculine roles on men's attitudes toward depression and help-seeking (4).”
From Masculinity and Help-Seeking Among Men With Depression: A Qualitative Study (2020) · cites this paper as [4]
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Factores asociados al autorreporte del bienestar mental o emocional del hombre en Chile
Vidal, C., & Huerta, C. N. T. (2018) · Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública · doi:10.26633/rpsp.2018.181 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“Fumador actual 798 34,7 (31,9-37,7) 187 1,07 (0,82-1,83) 35 1,03 (0,63-1,70)”
InfluentialThe Depression Conundrum and the Advantages of Uncertainty
Celie, J. E., Loeys, T., Desmet, M., & Verhaeghe, P. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00939 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“Also, the finding that traditional masculinity values could serve as barriers but equally as facilitators in the development of coping strategies in depressed men (Krumm et al., 2017).”
BackgroundOh, J., Hong, H., Oh, J., & Kim, T. (2022) · Psychiatry Investigation · doi:10.30773/pi.2021.0192 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Sparks, B., & Papandreou, C. (2023) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.p2947 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
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Depression und Männlichkeit: Krankheitstheorien und Bewältigung – Eine biografisch-narrative Studie
Staiger, T., Stiawa, M., Mueller‐Stierlin, A. S., Kilian, R., Beschoner, P., Gündel, H., Becker, T. M., Frasch, K., Panzirsch, M., Schmauß, M., et al. (2020) · Psychiatrische Praxis · doi:10.1055/a-1043-8126 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Hiew, Y., Powell, N. L., Wong, Q. Y., Fong, Z. H., Fong, Y. J., & Chee, T. T. (2024) · Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/13591045241241109 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“This includes expressive traits becoming more socially desirable for males and males starting to perceive help-seeking as a rational and responsible action (Krumm et al., 2017; Swazina et al., 2004).”
Zhang, A. Y., Ganocy, S. J., Owusu, C., & Gao, K. (2021) · Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jaclp.2021.08.012 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Hegde, S., & Karkal, R. (2021) · Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1177/02537176211051001 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
The impact of advertising exposure on the gendered perceptions of men with mental health concerns
Li, T. (2022) · Journal of Consumer Marketing · doi:10.1108/jcm-01-2021-4394 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Roxo, L., & Perelman, J. (2022) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114623 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Gender differences in unplanned hospital admission: A population‐based approach
Labaka, A., Elordi-Güenaga, U., Etxeberria, J. Z., Zubizarreta, N. Z., Ugartemendia‐Yerobi, M., & Pereda‐Goikoetxea, B. (2023) · Nursing and Health Sciences · doi:10.1111/nhs.13072 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Ramos-Grille, I., Aragay, N., Valero, S., Garrido, G., Santacana, M., Guillamat, R., Vallès, V., & Gomà‐i‐Freixanet, M. (2020) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-020-01005-7 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Aguayo, F. (2022) · Psicologia & Sociedade · doi:10.1590/1807-0310/2022v34251463 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Masculinidades e narrativas de sofrimento mental e autocuidado
Rocha, R., & Zucchi, E. M. (2025) · Interface - Comunicação Saúde Educação · doi:10.1590/interface.240357 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Exploring masculinity, experience of distress and help-seeking within a UK male prison
Ramesh, T., Mercieca, M., Curran, V. H., & Cabourne, J. (2023) · Journal of Men s Health · doi:10.22514/jomh.2023.134 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“While this is consistent with the literature on men’s perceptions of emotional expression and mental health difficulties [43], prisoners shared that their way of portraying themselves differs when they are outside the prison environment, highlighting the magnifying impact of prison.”
ResultGbessemehlan, A., Taffa, R. R., Galéra, C., Guerchet, M., & Adoukonou, T. (2024) · Journal of Epidemiology and Population Health · doi:10.1016/j.jeph.2024.202525 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Using Concept Mapping to Operationalize Mental Well‐Being for Men and Boys
McNeish, R., Walker, C., Massey, O. T., & Tran, Q. (2020) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/ajcp.12419 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Krumm, S., Krieg, G., Lamp, N., Marek, F., Nickel, P., Panzirsch, M., Stiawa, M., Beschoner, P., Brieger, P., Frasch, K., et al. (2023) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-023-04979-3 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Любов, Е. Б., & Zotov, P. B. (2020) · Суицидология · doi:10.32878/suiciderus.20-11-02(39)-15-32 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Depression among adolescents and young adults - social and gender differences
Wirback, T. (2020) · Socialmedicinsk tidskrift · doi:10.62607/smt.v97i5-6.38249 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Barry, J. A. (2023) · PubMed Central · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Staiger, T., & Krumm, S. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-42942-3_8 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Savic, B., Staudt, A., Möhring, A., Guertler, D., Rumpf, H., John, U., & Baumann, S. (2025) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-025-07463-2 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Additionally, mental health remains particularly stigmatized among men, and traditional masculine norms often prevent emotional expression and help-seeking [75, 76].”
Xia, L., Wu, N., Wang, D., Zhou, H., & Zhang, X. (2025) · Translational Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41398-025-03784-8 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“In patients with MDD, SI deepens with the severity of depressive symptoms, and there are gender differences in this correlation [3, 26, 27].”
Balta, M., Katsas, K., Grigoropoulou, C., Diamantis, D. V., Kalogiannis, D., Drougos, N., Fagogeni, E., Veloudaki, A., Panagiotakos, D. B., & Linos, A. (2023) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs13100804 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Aydin, N., Plewe, M. C., Mahr, L. A. M., & Kleber, J. (2024) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs14050406 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Previous research has documented a greater tendency among males to erroneously attribute mental illness to personal weakness and that some men experience depression as a challenge to their sense of masculinity [68,70].”
BackgroundSalud mental masculina y psicoterapia con hombres: Editorial
González-Barrientos, M., Rivera-Aguilera, G., Hurtado, C. U., Aguayo, F., & Beiras, A. (2024) · Psicoperspectivas Individuo y Sociedad · doi:10.5027/psicoperspectivas-vol23-issue2-fulltext-3315 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Breaking Barriers: Contemporary Challenges and Solutions in Male Mental Health
Singh, T., Mittal, S., Tushir, B., Kaur, H., & Agrawal, C. K. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-92-1288-0_156 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Monteiro, B., Galhardo, A., Senra, H., Pinto‐Gouveia, J., & Cunha, M. (2024) · Stress and Health · doi:10.1002/smi.3440 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
How Thai men cope with depression: A qualitative study
Kaewjanta, N., & Rungreangkulkij, S. (2021) · Perspectives In Psychiatric Care · doi:10.1111/ppc.12829 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Masculinities and narratives of mental suffering and self-care
Rocha, R., & Zucchi, E. M. (2025) · Interface - Comunicação Saúde Educação · doi:10.1590/interface.250035 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“For men, seeking mental health services and expressing depressive symptoms often signifies extreme vulnerability or intense mental suffering, conditions that would typically not motivate them to seek care 14,15 .”
Toma, R., Blunstone, L., Juruena, M. F., & Pick, S. (2025) · BJPsych Open · doi:10.1192/bjo.2025.10924 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Depresión masculina: barreras para la búsqueda de ayuda en hombres adultos en Chile
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10 Signs I am Hiding My Depression
Clingan, P. D. (2020) · International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research · doi:10.14299/ijser.2020.01.01 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Depression is a common cause of suicides as it accounts for an estimated about 800, 000 suicide-related deaths across the globe every year, with the risk of committing suicide among people with depression being dependent on both the severity and duration an individual, has lived with the condition in absence of effect…”
BackgroundKaewjanta, N., & Rungreangkulkij, S. (2022) · TRENDS IN THE SCIENCES · doi:10.48048/tis.2022.2190
“A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies [17] found that traditional masculinity influenced how men managed depressive symptoms.”
BackgroundMan up: A Study on how men Deal with mental health issues
Chatterjee, D. (2024) · International Journal of Science and Research Archive · doi:10.30574/ijsra.2024.12.1.0869 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Validation of a gender-specific binary depression screening version (GIDS-15) in two German samples
Pellowski, J. S., Ebert, D. D., & Christiansen, H. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1469436 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“These fi ndings from sample 1 and sample 2 can be interpreted against the background of other studies: On the one hand, previous studies have found a correlation between a basic orientation towards traditional masculinity norms and the report of male-typical complaints and behaviours (35, 91 – 93).”
Wemrell, M., & Hiltunen, L. (2025) · Violence Against Women · doi:10.1177/10778012251348433 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“…knowledge about men ’ s mental health, supporting men ’ s capacity to be vulnerable and masculinity norms inconducive to violence (Heise et al., 2019; Krumm et al., 2017; Pease, 2019), as well as mitigating understandings of gender equality in terms of a zero-sum game where one group ’ s gain is…”
A Reflective Cybernetic Study on the Experiences of a Gay Male Teacher in the Free State Province
Swanepoel, E. H. (2019) · Journal of Homosexuality · doi:10.1080/00918369.2019.1582222 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Men’s Mental Health: Time for a Paradigm Shift
Whitley, R. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-86320-3_10 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Götzl, C., Staiger, T., Stiawa, M., Beschoner, P., Gündel, H., Becker, T. M., Kilian, R., & Krumm, S. (2021) · Psychiatrische Praxis · doi:10.1055/a-1667-9363 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Yusuf, H. (2019) · TSpace (University of Toronto) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Barry, J. A. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4304339 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“”[9] This minimisation of the value of Original Article”
BackgroundWorkplace Bullying and the Polemic of Subjectivity and Intent
Rayner, C. (2018) · Precision manufacturing · doi:10.1007/978-981-10-5334-4_5-1
Berdin artatzen al ditugu pazienteak emakumezko ala gizonezko izan?
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Stiawa, M., Mueller‐Stierlin, A. S., Staiger, T., Kilian, R., Becker, T. M., Götzl, C., Gündel, H., Beschoner, P., Grinschgl, A., Frasch, K., et al. (2020) · Psychiatrische Praxis · doi:10.1055/a-1149-5429
“Darüber hinaus finden sich auch alternative Männlichkeitsorientierungen, die darauf hinweisen, dass Männer in ihrer Krankheitsbewältigung das eigene Perfektionsstreben ablegen und eine Sensibilität für mentale und körperliche Bedürfnisse entwickeln [8].”
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Workplace Bullying and the Polemic of Subjectivity and Intent
Rayner, C. (2021) · Handbooks of Workplace Bullying, Emotional Abuse and Harassment/Handbooks of workplace bullying, emotional abuse and harassment · doi:10.1007/978-981-13-0134-6_5
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NARRATIVES ON DEPRESSION, MASCULINITY AND WORK. A STUDY WITH LIFE STORIES OF CHILEAN MEN
Aguayo, F. (2022) · Psicologia & Sociedade · doi:10.1590/1807-0310/2022v34251463en
Die psychische Gesundheit von Männern: Zeit für einen Paradigmenwechsel
Whitley, R. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-42082-5_10
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BABALARDA POSTPARTUM DEPRESYONU VE YARDIM ARAMA DAVRANIŞI
Akar, B., & Akçay, S. (2025) · Selçuk Sağlık Dergisi · doi:10.70813/ssd.1552368
Stiawa, M., Nickel, P., Krieg, G., Senk, K., Kilian, R., Lamp, N., Panzirsch, M., & Krumm, S. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0336209
Spurling, G., Tyson, C., Soe, K., & Hayman, N. E. (2025) · Australian Journal of Primary Health · doi:10.1071/py25143
Stiawa, M., Müller-Stierlin, A., Staiger, T., Kilian, R., Becker, T., Gündel, H., Beschoner, P., Grinschgl, A., Frasch, K., Schmauß, M., et al. (2020) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.12421859
Ar, Y. (2026) · Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar · doi:10.18863/pgy.1823478
Taha, M., & de Gracia, M. R. L. (2026) · Gender Issues · doi:10.1007/s12147-026-09411-0
“…suggests that adherence to traditional masculine behaviours also constitutes a significant barrier to formal help-seeking in men (e.g., Coleman-Kirumba et al., 2023 ; Kantar and Yalçın, 2024 ; Krumm et al., 2017; Piatkowski et al., 2023 ; Üzümçeker, 2025)—a central focus of the present study.”
Schaffler, Y., Haider, K., Humer, E. C., Schweitzer, E., Probst, T., Pieh, C., & Schigl, B. (2026) · Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice · doi:10.1111/papt.70086
- Authors
- Krumm, S., Checchia, C., Koesters, M., Kilian, R., & Becker, T.
- Affiliations
- Universität Ulm (DE)
- Venue
- Psychopathology
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Published
- 2017
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 107-124
- ISSN
- 0254-4962 (ISSN-L)
- 1423-033X
- OpenAlex
- W2592826866
- Cited by
- 104
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 16.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Keywords
- male depression, masculinity, atypical depressive symptoms, gender differences in depression, alternative masculinities, suicide, coping strategies, underdiagnosis of depression
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aggression, Depression, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Middle Aged, Sexual Partners, Qualitative Research, Men's Health, Masculinity
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