Our society has taught men that depression is a women's issue. Our society has taught men that acknowledging having depression is emasculating.
The students and faculty members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, however, are teaching people that even real men get depressed and that real men get help.
Research indicates that men experience depression in similar percentages as women, said Mary Swoboda, a mental health practitioner for the University Health Center.
Cody Hobza, a UNL counseling psychology graduate, found a way to confront these gender role stigmas and bring information about depression to men in the Lincoln area.
At an APA Conference last year, Hobza heard a presentation on the "Real Men. Real Depression." campaign the National Institute of Mental Health launched in 2003.
Hobza returned from the conference last spring and immediately put together a committee to bring the campaign to Lincoln.
On Wednesday, the "Real Men. Real Depression." Lincoln campaign will be launched at UNL, making his goal a reality.
Tina Hoffman, a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, is the chairwoman of the committee. The goal of the committee, comprised primarily of doctoral candidates and students from Student Involvement, is to "raise community awareness about men suffering with depression … also to destigmatize the process of men getting help for depression," Hoffman said.
The campaign will open with a training session in the Nebraska Union, led by Aaron Rochlen, a researcher and counseling psychology faculty member at the University of Texas-Austin, who is an expert on men's issues and depression.
Rochlen said he will focus on treating both depressed and non-depressed men in different situations.
The second part of the campaign is the Program Launch, which will be held at the Love Library Auditorium on Wednesday. Rochlen will give the keynote speech, and other speakers will include UNL's James Griesen, former vice chancellor for student affairs, and Rodolfo Palma-Lulion of Ann Arbor, Mich., a man who has suffered from and dealt with depression.
The campaign coincides with UNL's National Depression Screening Day on Thursday. After the launch, which hopes to "encourage the recognition of depression," Swoboda said.
Men and women will have the opportunity to be screened for depression and talk with a counselor at the union.
At the conclusion of the campaign, Counseling and Psychological Services at UNL will be sponsoring a group for men dealing with depression issues. The group will start in October through Scott Winrow, a psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services.
Real men need to recognize depression. Real men need to deal with depression. "Real Men. Real Depression." starts Wednesday but awareness about these issues and help for them won't end anytime soon.
