Terrell Freeman, coordinator of student affairs at FAMU’s Sunshine Manor, said within the past five years, depression has increased in males although they tend not to seek help.
“Males with signs of depression tend not to come in for counseling,” Freeman said. “Depression may be associated with an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. And in some serious cases of depression, it can lead to suicide or can lead someone to commit homicide.”
Harold Ford, coordinator of evaluations and admissions at the Apalachee Mental Health Center, said clinical experts define depression as a common, sometimes serious mood disorder.
“It is intense and attacks the mind and the body at the same time,” Ford said.
According to Ford about 10 percent of the men he treats at the center have clinical depression but more than 10 percent of men in Tallahassee actually suffer from depression.
“Men don’t want to admit it to themselves that they might be suffering from depression,” Ford said.
Sean Johnson, 19, a sophomore biology student from Connecticut, said men are less likely to admit that they have depression because of how it is viewed by society.
“Some of my boys think that they are too tough and that depression is only a female illness,” Johnson said.
“Men are much less likely to admit to depression or to seek help for it than women,” Freeman said.
Freeman added that men are not as likely to show the typical signs of depression either because they usually do not cry or show sadness or loss of will. As a result, their depression is hidden from friends, family or associates who might insist they seek help.
Sunshine Manor, which is located in front of Tucker Hall, is open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.
There are counselors and a clinical psychologist on staff that can be contacted at 599-3145.
Leon County also has a 24-hour counseling hotline, which can be reached at 222-2223.