„That He Really Mustered up the Courage and Said: ‚I Need Help Now‛.“ Female Partners Perspectives on Men's Coping Strategies for Depression. a Qualitative Study

The perspective of female partners of men with depression and their role in coping with the illness has been little researched. Recognizing the importance of gender role stereotypes for men's coping strategies for depression, it is also important to explore the extent to which gender norms play a role in co-dealing with the illness together and how female partners reinforce masculinity when dealing with a male partner’s depression. The aim of this study is to investigate the female partners’ perspective on how their male partners deal with the illness. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted online with 13 female partners of men with depression using a semi-structured interview guide including themes on the start and course of treatment, the subjective theory of illness, how the couple deals with the illness and their experiences with private and professional support services. The transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and reconstructive methods. Traditional norms of masculinity served as a point of reference in the female partners descriptions. Participants positively evaluated characteristics in men that do not correspond to stereotypical norms of masculinity, such as higher emotional capacity, both in relation to coping with the illness and in shaping the relationship. Instead, they characterized their partners as possessing attributes of alternative masculinities. However, Female partners expressed specific expectations regarding their partner’s illness coping, including active coping such as taking the illness seriously, actively seeking help and participating in treatment. Some of these expectations tie in with attitudes that correspond to traditional masculinity. Nevertheless, expectations of the male partner's health literacy seem also limited, and female partners often took on an active and demanding role during the depression treatment period and showed a high level of caring behavior towards and responsibility for their partner with depression.