Narratives of Masculinity and Depression

Abstract

Positioning oneself in relation to hegemonic masculinity can be seen as a pervasive aspect of a man’s actions and experiences. In this study, the connection between masculinity and depression was studied using a sample of Finnish men in their forties, who had self-identified as depressed. Interviews of twenty-four men were analyzed using narrative methods. We found four main ways in which men’s depression was related to masculinity. Depression could be seen as a consequence of both realized and unattained hegemonic masculinity. Moreover, some men challenged the hegemonic masculinity and located the cause of their depression within the sociocultural gender order. Ways of thinking and acting that are traditionally held as masculine could also serve as a resource to cope with one’s mental distress. The findings show that the concept of masculinity is useful in understanding men’s depression, but there is no single kind of association between masculinity and depression.