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"Women are almost twice as likely to develop depressive disorders over a lifetime. But with the recession and changing dynamics at work and home, this is set to change.  With a study in the US claiming that recession depression is rising among males, we talk to the experts about how losing your job can affect your mental health and what to do about it.  While it&amp;#039;s a well established fact that women have always been at higher risk for depression, a psychiatrist leading a study on depression at Emory University, US, claims this statistic is changing.  Large numbers of men have come forward with symptoms of depression related to employment or marital conflict \u2013 issues that the recession has brought to a head. Why the link? The reason for this connection between work and mental health is that many men still shoulder the role of primary breadwinner for their families. This means unemployment, redundancy and money problems hit men particularly hard because their self-esteem (an important risk factor in depression) is often related to their role as provider.  Dr William Shanahan, executive medical director at Capio Nightingale Hospital in London agrees and adds, &amp;#039;Issues such as job security, financial difficulties and responsibilities are highlighted in men&amp;#039;s minds, which is why these issues can seem overwhelming in a recession.  &amp;#039;If left untreated, anxiety, depression and other associated mental health problems \u2013 such as addiction, gambling and eating disorders \u2013 can arise because men struggle to assert control over their lives.&amp;#039;  Seeking help Men are often reluctant to ask for help and advice.  &amp;#039;They often feel that they have to be the one who copes. This can add to the problem,&amp;#039; says Jules McClean, psychotherapist and clinical director of Counselling Directory.  &amp;#039;So even if they have lost their job or have money and family worries, many feel they have put on a brave face and keep quiet about it, which just makes their depression worse.&amp;#039; Danger signs of depression according to Jules McClean are:  waking up and feeling low drinking more to cope hiding feelings from family and loved ones feeling irritable all the time suffering from sleep problems feeling everything is hard work.  If you feel any of the above or know you&amp;#039;re depressed, the answer is to talk to someone.  If you don&amp;#039;t want to talk to your GP or occupational health services (if you&amp;#039;re still in a job) for fear of it being on your record, try an independent therapist where confidentiality is key. Other ways to cope with recession depression It can also help to look at recession related depression in another way.  Even if things are going badly, try to find ways to remain positive to avoid allowing yourself to dip into depression.  Stress and anxiety expert, Charles Linden points out, &amp;#039;The stress of financial worries can cause thoughts and feelings of desperation, isolation, and depression. But remember this is not true clinical depression.  &amp;#039;Regardless of how you feel, it&amp;#039;s vital that you understand that the brain responds to external circumstances because we &amp;#039;&amp;#039;feed it&amp;#039;&amp;#039; data. In other words, we are what we think.&amp;#039;  Psychologist Marisa Peer, author of &amp;#039;Ultimate Confidence&amp;#039; agrees. &amp;#039;For many men, what you do for a living is tied up with who you are. So losing your job can lead you into a spiral of depressive thoughts \u2013 where you feel you&amp;#039;re not needed and are of no use to anyone.&amp;#039;  If this is happening to you, what&amp;#039;s important to remember is that it won&amp;#039;t last forever. &amp;#039;The recession and your difficulties will pass. But in the meantime, taking action and doing something positive is what makes you feel better,&amp;#039; adds Marisa Peer.  Marisa Peer&amp;#039;s top tips  Find something to do whilst you&amp;#039;re searching for a job, so you don&amp;#039;t fall into a negative spiral of thought. Try volunteering or helping at a school \u2013 anything that allows you to say that you&amp;#039;re doing something with your time when others ask. Sign up for a basic free course at your local library. It will give you a reason to wake up and go out every day. It will also give you a sense of purpose and make you feel like you&amp;#039;re doing something useful towards getting a new job. Talk to someone about how you feel. If you feel depressed, but don&amp;#039;t want to speak to a professional, contact MIND for details of self-help groups. Or sign on to Depression Can Be Fun and use their online forums to share your story and speak with other men who feel the same way as you. Finally, sign up for career counselling to help you see all your professional options more clearly. Knowing what you want to do, whether it&amp;#039;s changing careers or retraining, can give you a real sense of purpose and help rebuild your confidence and feel more positive. Try The National Careers Service\u2013 a publicly funded service, helping people get the advice they need for future skills, careers and work choices.  Other people also read: Depression: what causes depression? Time to talk about it \u2013 opening up on mental health: common problems? Down or depressed? Signs to look out for. Stress: are you just stressed or are you close to burnout?  Last updated 24.03.2011 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/a10528/depression-due-to-the-recession/>