MORE than half (53 per cent) of men in Jamaica have been experiencing varying levels of depression during the post-COVID-19 period, according to a study conducted by Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in October and November 2022.

The levels of depression recorded were 41 per cent mild, eight per cent moderate and four per cent severe. according to a release from NCU.

The study, titled ‘Assessing Depression in Jamaican Males: Post-COVID-19’, further revealed that nearly 10 per cent of the of 1,066 adult males surveyed attempted suicide or had suicidal thoughts or wished they were dead. Another 25 per cent felt their life was not worth living. The survey findings have a plus/minus three per cent margin of error.

According to the NCU study, depression can be defined as a mood disorder which is associated with feelings of sadness and loss of interest, which negatively affects how one feels, thinks, and behaves. Depression results in a disruption of various aspects of daily living and may present itself in times of stress, crises, or conflicting events; and if not treated promptly, it can affect one’s functioning.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that depression affects approximately 3.8 per cent of the world’s population (280 million people), noting that 75 per cent of people in low-and-middle-income nations go untreated for this mental health disorder.

Further analysis of the NCU research findings revealed that the desire to be dead was more pronounced among younger men (eight per cent of the 18-21 years old cohort along with eight per cent of men 22 -25 years of age). Nearly six per cent of men aged 26-29 years, and five per cent of those ages 30+ years old expressed the sentiment. These finding reflected the view of the WHO that “the pandemic has affected the mental health of young people and that they are disproportionally at risk of suicidal and self-harming behaviours”.

Paul Bourne, interim director of institutional research at the Mandeville-based university, said the study “has brought a preview of the mental health challenges experienced by Jamaican males, and this speaks to a silent killer that is been nurtured in the minds of these individuals”.

He suggested that the prolonged lockdown of the Jamaican economy had aided in deteriorating the mental health condition of men. “Hence, it is understandable why health professionals had recommended that policymakers bolster mental health outreach during the pandemic.”

Said Bourne: “This study goes further to recommend that those outreaches be extended to the post-COVID-19 period, as difficulties experienced during the pandemic have not dissipated with the declaration of the end of the epidemic.”

The NCU research team noted that the current study has unearthed the mental health status of Jamaican males, yet there are no empirical studies post-COVID-19 on their healthcare-seeking behaviour.

A study to examine the healthcare-seeking behaviour of Jamaican males post-COVID-19 is needed as this will provide invaluable insight into this silent pandemic, depression after the pandemic. Despite the absence of objective inquiries into the healthcare-seeking behaviour of Jamaican males, they will continue to ‘hurt in silence’ without statewide psychosocial interventions geared towards coping and depression.

Men mask depression

According to the NCU study, depression among men can be masked and, instead, appear as atypical signs and symptoms such as aggressive behaviour, participating in risky activities, substance abuse and suicidal ideations. Such behaviours negatively affect their ability to keep relationships with their family and friends and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “Many mistake these symptoms for other mental disorders, leading to the underdiagnosis of depression in men,” the NCU researchers noted.

Additionally, the researchers said the idea of masculinity and the ideal ways to express emotions as a male are contributing factors in the general manifestation of depression. “The masculinity culture compounds the issue of depression-seeking care among men.”

According to the study, the COVID-19 pandemic precipitated the issue of depression among women more than men. Nevertheless, there has been an increase in depression among men. The study cited an online survey done by Cleveland Clinic which revealed that 77 per cent of males in the United States reported increased stress levels during the pandemic. In addition, 45 per cent of males felt that their emotional/mental health had also declined; and 59 per cent of men felt isolated during the pandemic.

A previous study done by the NCU research team also found a positive statistical relationship between psychological well-being and social isolation, suggesting that COVID-19 is creating mental changes among Jamaicans. Unfortunately for Jamaica, sufficient research has not been done to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on depression, and whether Jamaican men have become more depressed post-pandemic. The NCU research team used the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) to assess the level of depression in Jamaican males post-COVID-19 in seeking to understand the vulnerability of males. Using the HDRS, there is evidence of moderately high depression among Jamaican males. Such findings should solicit immediate social intervention, medical intervention, and hotlines to deal with depressed males, the NCU study recommended.

The NCU research team included Ashley Williamson, Avery Gran, Shimona Mullings, Sharelle Sanderson, Shaunna-Kay Spence, James Fallah, Calvin Campbell, Clifton Foster, Caroline McLean, Tabitha Muchee, and Advella L Meikle

Other findings:

* Severe depression was highest among the higher educational cohort (four per cent), compared to those with secondary education (3.5 per cent). However, males with secondary education were most likely to experience moderate depression compared to the other educational cohort.

* Of those who were experiencing severe depression, most of them dwelled in Kingston and Andrew (24 per cent) followed by Clarendon (18 per cent), St Ann and Manchester (13 per cent each), and St Ann and St James (eight per cent each).

* Males in the 22-25 age cohort were the most likely to have reported attempting suicide (2 per cent) compared to those ages 18-21 years old (1.2 per cent), those 26-29 years old (0.7 per cent) and those ages 30+ years old (0.7 per cent).

* Those with at least a secondary level of education were more likely to attempt suicide compared to those at a primary level of education. Those with secondary level education were also most likely to attempt suicide of other educational cohorts.