An Ottawa public servant has received a prestigious award from the Governor General for his work advocating for men's mental health.

Jean-Francois Claude received the Governor General's Meritorious Service Decoration on Friday for raising awareness and providing resources for men struggling with mental health issues through his website TheMen'sDEN.ca.

He was first diagnosed with depression in 2012 after a major breakdown while at work in a federal government department. He was spending more and more time at work instead of at home with his wife, seven-year-old daughter and four-year-old son.

"When the doctor said you're going through depression, and I suspect you have an underlying mood disorder, it was complete disbelief. And frankly, at first I refused to go on medication, again because of the stigma around mental illness," Claude told host Hallie Cotnam on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.

Jean-Francois Claude started the online mental health resource The Men's D.E.N. (CBC) He went online to find more information, but couldn't find much that specifically related to him.

"When you first get a diagnosis, I'm sure most people would go to Google and try to find out more about the illness, and I would land on these great mental health websites. And they'd have a section on women's mental health and youth mental health and seniors' mental health, and there was nothing for men," said Claude.

That absence spurred him to create The Men's D.E.N., which stands for "Depression Education Network."

Under-diagnosed or unreported

"It's more or less an online portal to male depression resources, and then occasionally I will post a blog piece, and I have started opening it up to others who can share their own stories."

As Claude learned more about his mental illness, he realized he had a family history on both sides, which wasn't discussed because of the stigma around it. He also came to understand that depression can manifest itself differently in men.

"It likely goes under-diagnosed or unreported. For example, men will tend to report more of the physical symptoms that you wouldn't automatically associate with what people generally think of as depression. So it can be back pain, headaches, loss of appetite, sleep issues," he said.

He believes talking about mental health is a crucial first step for men in getting help.

"I get contacted by men who are struggling, but also by their spouses who are looking for help to try and help their partner," said Claude.

"And I have to admit that's probably some of the most challenging type of communications I have, because at the end of the day, whether you're a man or a woman, I think you have to first accept that you need help before you're willing to go get it."