Looking for Mr. PG: masculinities and men's depression in a northern resource-based Canadian community

Abstract

Research has attributed the 'silent suffering' of men with depression to the influences of dominant masculine ideals such as strength and stoicism. Similarly, rural ideals - romanticized notions about rural places - have been shown to mute mental health issues and create barriers to help-seeking. This article examines the experiences of men with depression in Prince George, a northern resource-based community in British Columbia, Canada. Findings reveal how depressed men and their female partners enacted strategies to positively reinforce men's gendered sense of self, in a context that otherwise may render them 'out of place'. While favouring men's wellbeing, these strategies can also perpetuate an invisible geography of men's depression.