Self-control deficits and male specific indicators of depression

The current study assessed the construct of masculine depression in a sample of 90 active duty servicemen. Using scores obtained on the BDI-II and the Mood Module of the PRIME-MD, participants were categorized into depressed and non-depressed groups and completed an assessment protocol that tapped self-reported depression, stressful life events, masculine gender role stressors, general psychological distress, self-management deficits, and response biases. Findings indicate that prototypical depression and masculine depression were highly correlated in this sample. This relationship remained strong after controlling for PTSD symptomatology. Masculine role norms and masculine gender role stress mediated the relationship between negative life events and depression. Masculine-specific indicators of depression were more strongly related to prototypical depressive symptoms than to general distress indicating that the externalizing symptoms associated with depression among males are not simply maladaptive stress coping mechanisms.;Finally, depressed males endorsed significant deficits in self-management compared to the non-depressed males. These findings indicate that a Self-Control Model of Depression, such as that proposed by Rehm (1977), may be as applicable for depressed males as it has been found to be for depressed females.