Gender stereotypes suggest men don’t, or shouldn’t get depression. But statistics say about 10 percent of them do experience depression at some time in their lives. Now a national campaign is tackling the reality in Spanish and English with local community events, educational resources, and the release of a film "Men Get Depression" in 2008. To kick of the campaign, a symposium at the Kaiser Family Foundation on Tuesday addressed disparities in male depression. Dr. David Satcher, the former Surgeon General who unlocked discussions about mental illness with two landmark reports (1999 and 2001) noted depression was prevalent in roughly 20-25 percent of black men. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), a champion of equity in mental health, urged that current initiatives for reform represent the “floor and not the ceiling” of expectations.


