Worldwide, major depression is one of the main causes of premature death and lowered functional capacity, and its importance will increase in the coming years. At the same time, there is a gap in service provision, and the needs of depressed patients are often not met. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe how men (N = 12) with major depression (DSM-IV) cope with daily life with the help of professional and lay support. The men were selected by strategic sampling and analysed with an approach inspired by phenomenography. Four descriptive categories emerged: being unburdened, restoring one's health, feeling involved, and finding a meaning. A man receives help and support from health care in,restoring his health but his own path to getting well is to resume his place in the public domain. To help him do so, lay support is vital, and an important task for the nurse is, therefore, to support him in maintaining his existing social network or in building a new one. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.