Depression in Men or Covert Depression, at it’s core comes to the external expression of psychological symptoms. What does this mean? Well if someone struggles to show emotion, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are just fine and dandy. They may be showing their symptoms in other ways – external ways!
Myself and colleague Marteleze van Graan (Counselling Psychologist) co-authored an article on Depression in Men and how depression often presents differently in men to what is commonly viewed as the emotional expression or well-known expression of depression, Overt Depression. In my practice I have most definitely seen a trend not only across gender lines, but also many individuals presenting with mood struggles in this way. This article explores depression in men and much research on Covert Depression relates to men, take a read. I think this a far more wide-reaching expression of depression and doesn’t necessarily need a gender box.
Take a read at the Mental Health Matters article, published by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) in 2019. Here Marteleze and I explore covert depression.
