A construction of family roles by working men who experience depression

Abstract

Despite depression having become such a common phenomenon in our modern-day life, there is still much that the social work profession needs to learn about it, in order to facilitate a process that will enable clients to deal not only with the immediate effects of depression but also with the changes it might bring about with regard to their families. The majority of the research conducted thus far appears to have focused on depression in women, with precious little attention to the experience of depression by male sufferers. By way of this study, the researcher aims to address these problems. It is interesting to note that we still do not really know precisely what meaning men’s family roles, such as that of fatherhood, actually hold for them. As anyone who has studied depression will know only too well, people’s perceptions of the world and of themselves change with the onset of depression. It is therefore quite possible that perceptions regarding family roles may similarly be subject to change. This study attempts to find answers to questions such as these with a view to improved future research and therapy. Constructivism forms part of a broad post-modernist approach to the social sciences. In particular, it emphasizes the importance of personal construct creation as well as the development of such construct through social processes. With its use of narrative and metaphorical techniques, it offers a unique glimpse into the construct system of the interviewee. In an effort to explore the meanings and experiences of men who are struggling with depression, three case study narratives obtained from selected persons are offered. By way of a co-construction of these stories, certain conclusions are arrived at, leading to specific recommendations for future practice and research.