Anger and Hostility as Primary Externalizing Features of Depression in College Men

Some have suggested that Major Depressive Disorder diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) may not capture the full range of depressive symptoms of some men who adhere to hegemonic masculine gender role norms. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of several proposed externalizing variables to predict masculine depression in a sample of men (n = 169). A stepwise multiple regression process was used, in which three models were analyzed. The analysis indicated that hostility and anger were the only variables predictive of masculine depressive symptoms. Additional implications for clinical assessment, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are addressed.