its critical to get a depressed person out and about .. when they will be inclined to want to stay home alone ..

try a Men's Shed .. there's over 800 across Australia .. and, contrary to what some might think, they are full of normal blokes being blokes ... making stuff, repairing things, doing stuff together ..

or a Community Garden .. good open air gentle exercise ... with the bonus of good healthy food to eat later

or a Community Club ... or University of the 3rd Age ...

it really does not matter ... the key is that the 'depressed' person is socialising .. with others .. not alone at home

Hey traveloz,

What if the guy really isn't into DIY, or cars, and already feels ostracized and has gender identity issues. He's not likely to respond to such a celebration of traditional masculinity.

One would think that the in the closet, the inadequate, the feminine, the nerd, the goth misfit, would be a significant subsection of the depressed, given they don't fit the mould of what society expects of men.

That's a further weakness of the Man Therapy campaign. It's taken as read and reinforced that blokey blokes are the only blokes who wouldn't ask for help. Those aspiring to be blokey blokes and who have taken on the same messages about masculinity are still unreachable with this campaign, just with one extra kick in the guts for good measure.

<Causes

Most likely, depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.

Depressive illnesses are disorders of the brain. Brain-imaging technologies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have shown that the brains of people who have depression look different than those of people without depression. The parts of the brain involved in mood, thinking, sleep, appetite, and behavior appear different. But these images do not reveal why the depression has occurred. They also cannot be used to diagnose depression.

Some types of depression tend to run in families. However, depression can occur in people without family histories of depression too. Scientists are studying certain genes that may make some people more prone to depression. Some genetics research indicates that risk for depression results from the influence of several genes acting together with environmental or other factors. In addition, trauma, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or any stressful situation may trigger a depressive episode. Other depressive episodes may occur with or without an obvious trigger.>

National Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml

There is no way a major depressive illness is going to be 'cured' by some hopeful telling the patient to buck-up, get a grip of himself or go fishing.

Suicide is not just about feeling sad.

no program, however well conceived, can ever encompass the wonderful array of humanity ...

some like football ... some prefer chess or bridge ...
some prefer computers .. some like reading
others would prefer a walk or a bicycle ride ...

I was primarily saying that its important to get out and about .. not remain isolated .. whatever one's preferences .. sexual or otherwise

'I'm not trying to plumb sophisticated depths'

Oh never fear about sophisticated depths when I'm around. Sophistry on the other hand...

Poirot
Your observation "that most people are too tightly lashed to the system to even consider stepping back, dumping the load and opting to simplify their lives. They're carried along by a strong current - and because everyone else is sailing along with them, they don't think it's an option to pull into the riverbank and watch the world glide past."

That is a salient point in this discussion. Fear is a big factor in the 'going with the current' analogy. Fear of failure and fear of having to re-enter the system should things fall flat, and maybe not being able.

There are small ways of going against the current if the current is unsatisfactory. Much is also a state of mind.