It isn’t surprising that men and women often show different symptoms of depression. We are socialized differently; there are different expectations of behavior for men and women. Though the gender roles are becoming less rigid in our society, there are still certain things that are considered “unmanly,” like crying. So what’s a man with depression to do? He may suppress crying (as much as he can) and become easily irritated and angry instead. Men are also more likely to use more lethal means (such as guns) to try to kill themselves. So while women attempt suicide more often than men, women typically use methods (like overdoses) that are less likely to actually work. Consequently, men more often succeed in killing themselves. (Not that success in suicide is something to strive for…)
For more information about how depression affects men differently than women, here is a good article from Health & Fitness CheatSheet.
THE DEPRESSIVE DIVA 