Within the boundary fence: an investigation into the perceptions of men’s experience of depression in rural and remote areas of Australia
Lisa Patterson-Kane A C and Frances Quirk BA UNE Psychology Clinic, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.
B School of Medicine and Dentistry, Douglas Campus, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4810, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: lpatter5@une.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 20(2) 162-166 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY12106
Submitted: 12 February 2012 Accepted: 18 January 2013 Published: 7 March 2013
Abstract
This is a study exploring perceptions of men’s experience of depression in rural and remote areas of Australia. The purpose of this investigation was to generate ‘new’ information that can inform models of diagnosis and primary care for the treatment of depression in men in rural and remote areas. Men and women were recruited from two North Queensland sites to participate in semistructured interviews in both an individual and focus group format and completing a series of questionnaires. A combination of grounded theory and content analysis was adopted to analyse the qualitative data, and develop theory around men’s experience of depression in rural and remote areas. The findings of this study suggest that men’s experience of depression within a rural context is defined by a process of ‘internal compound’ whereupon emotional distress can represent itself in avoidant and dulling behaviours along with self-reliant attempts to ‘fix’ the situation. From this study a language has been provided to give explanation to the experience of depression in men in rural and remote areas. The findings of this study have implications for, and provide opportunity for reform in, how we approach the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of depression for men in rural and remote areas.
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