Onthebeach "I can add to that the well proved (peer reviewed research is available and the HIC has heaps of stats) fact that medical professionals including nurses, are far less disposed to ordering medical tests and screening for male patients and to treating their health complaints seriously."

What rot!
Where's your proof for these allegations?
Men demand to have their complaints taken seriously, just as much as women do.

If some men are reluctant to talk about their mental health problems, it is as much about the fact that other men belittle them as being 'sissies', as for any other reason.

Depressed people can access 6 free counselling sessions with their local psychologist if their GP refers them and fills out all the forms.
There are also local depression and anxiety help groups available in our communities, which are free to join and attend. Many men do avail themselves of these sessions.

So why not do something about it, rather than blaming every single problem in society on feminism and women?
That's just a cop-out, as far as I am concerned...

LOL, medical professional suseonline has spoken.

But wait a bit, that would be a courageous call where the subject presents as suicidal or suffering from possible medium to major depression. Besides, what is suseonline's psychologist to prescribe?

suseonline, you need to bone up on the differences between psychologists (clue, human behaviour, counselling) and psychiatrists (clue, medical training, strong grounding in both biological and psychological frameworks, can prescribe).

ontheeach,

If that was directed at moi, I wasn't meaning to be frivolous about depression. I realise there's a huge difference between feeling down and real chronic depression.

My point in including "The Compleat Angler" was that it's a book, not just about fishing, and cooking, but it's a soothing spiritual guide and represents the opposite of our depression-inducing modern system.

Frankly, it's the model of one's community and the connectedness produced therein that keeps people stable and unlikely to develop serious depression. Reaching a point where we're required to fill out copious forms, front up at a GP, and request "six" visits to a psychologist, should have us examining just how psychologically healthy is our current way of life.

If we fail to address the basis of our discontent in a society where we are materially rich but functionally in danger of developing depression - then we'll find ourselves perpetually, as a society, filling out forms to see a psychologist.

Onthebeach, obviously the GP would have already prescribed medication as necessary if the patient had a major depression.

Anyone who proclaims to know anything about a depressive illness should know that both medication and counselling are needed in most cases.

The psychiatrist may also be needed if the GP feels that more specialised medical treatment is needed.

At least I am offering some practical advice Onthebeach, rather than sneering and making sarcastic remarks.

individual
"doubt very much if any man would ever tell you what suicide thoughts they have/had"

You may be right on a person to person basis. I was thinking more about those men who are already seeking treatment and thus would provide a pool of men who might be willing to discuss their condition with researchers (with their permission). Arrangements could be made via the counsellor. But you are correct in that those men who do not seek help at all fall through the gaps and it is those men that Man Therapy is attempting to reach.

I can't help but come to the conclusion that we as a society are doomed to forever chase our tail on this one - unless we acknowledge that it's our model of living that is not conducive to good mental health.

What other conclusion can we come to?

We now have programs for addressing depression in pre-school children.

We have a program for addressing suicides in high-school students.

We now have a program called "Man Therapy".

Before we know it the whole gamut of the population will have a program in place to deal with the incompatibility of healthy mental outcomes and living a 21st century industrial life where "community" is something confected or delivered via an institution.