Although women are twice as likely to have depression, men are four times as likely to suffer its worst consequence: suicide. More than 90 percent of people who commit suicide have a history of depression, or another mental or substance-abuse disorder, often in combination. Starting in adolescence, men are far more likely than women to take their own lives. Older men, particularly white men over age 85, have the highest suicide rate. Although women attempt suicide three times as often as men, they are far less likely to complete it. Men's greater likelihood of using lethal means such as firearms accounts, in part, for the difference, but other factors also are involved. One such factor may be men's tendency to move from suicidal thoughts to suicidal actions faster than women. Months or years of thinking about suicide typically culminate in the development and enactment of a plan. Men take an average of 12 months to go from contemplating to attempting suicide, compared to 42 months for women. During this process, men are less likely than women to show warning signs such as suicidal threats. Because the window of opportunity is so short, doctors and mental health professionals may have little chance to recognize and treat a man's depression before he commits suicide. Source: http://health.msn.com/centers/depression