Major depression forms the background of upwards of
half of all suicides. Women are twice as likely as men
to experience major depression, yet women are one
fourth as likely as men to take their own lives. Current
and past explanations of this paradox are built on
androcentric assumptions that women are deficient in
some way. The reverse may be true where suicide is
concerned. Men value independence and decisive-
ness, and they regard acknowledging a need for help
as weakness and avoid it. Women value interdepen