الاكتئاب و الانتحار لدى الرجالل من منظور أوروبي : حقائق و تناقضات و رؤى مستقبلية (1)‎

Abstract EN

In Europe, men's life expectancy is between 5 and 15 years lower than that of women.

This might partly be related to the fact that men in general consume medical services only half as often compared to women? Up to 90 of all suicides are committed in a state of a major psychiatric disorder, most often depression.

According to the present doctrine, depression in males is only half as often prevalent as in females.

Paradoxically, however, men commit suicide 3-10 times more often than women in spite of being diagnosed only half as often aswomen as clinically depressed.

Male premature mortality reflected even in excessive male suicidality is today one of Europe's most important public health problems, especially in European countries and populations of dramatic social transition.

An explanation seems to be that male depressive symptoms are different from those reported by females, mainly because ofmen's alexithymic difficulties to recognize and report their own depressive symptoms.

In addition, male depression often is manifested by abusive, destructive, and/or antisocial behavior.

Moreover, in the case of suicidality, males more frequently use violent, decisive, and lethal methods.

Training of social and healthcare workers in earlier and better detection of male depressive and often very suicidal conditions including the use of screening instruments such as the "Gotland Male Depression Scale", a person-centered approach in suicide prevention as well as increasing public awareness for male depression are promising tools in the prevention of male suicide as an important public health problem.

J Neurol Neurochir Psychiatr 2010; 11 (3).

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