Fathers too experience Paternal Postnatal Depression

When your wife gives birth, you may find yourself drinking a bit more, working late, becoming more irritable, having low energy, feeling unmotivated, and experiencing changes in weight and appetite or sleep. These may be pointers to a more serious problem. 

Though not very commonly talked about, recent studies have shown that men too suffer from PPND (Paternal Postnatal Depression). Some research suggests that it develops more gradually in men over the course of the child’s first year than postpartum depression develops in women. It sometimes starts during pregnancy.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 10.4 percent of new fathers developed "paternal depression" during their partner's pregnancy or the first year of the their new baby's life. That is about twice the rate of depression for men in general. 

Another study published in Pediatrics found that depression scores among new fathers increased by 68 percent during the first five years of their children's lives, a crucial time when it comes to bonding with baby.

The mother is not the only one who has a lot on her plate with her newborn; many fathers (particularly first time fathers) are anxious and stressed about their new responsibilities as well.

It is therefore important for men to pinpoint when they have depression in the first year after the birth of their baby, and understand that something can be done about it. "Depression among new dads is not uncommon, and they're not alone," says Will Courtenay, also known as "The Men's Doc," Author of Dying to Be Men.

Parental depression negatively affects fathers’ and mothers’ caregiving, material support, and nurturance, and is associated with poor health and developmental outcomes for children of all ages, including prenatally. 

Fathers with partners who have PPD are twice as likely to develop PPND, spelling doom to the infant if the two parents will suffer from depression at the same time. Identifying at-risk fathers based on social factors and designing effective interventions may ultimately improve health outcomes for the entire family.

"We're expecting fathers to be more involved in parenting than ever before, but most dads report being unprepared," says Dr. Courtenay. "So while most dads want to be involved, they don't really know what that looks like...and many new dads are uncertain about what to do. That uncertainty can quickly lead to anxiety, and we know that anxiety postpartum often leads to depression."

"A lot of times men may withdraw by working more, playing sports, and doing things to avoid what's going on," says Dr. Christina Hibbert, an expert on postpartum mental health. She says there is lot more risk for alcohol or substance use, and they might experience physical symptoms—internalizing their depression and it comes out as headaches or stomach problems.

There is also more of a risk of violent or impulsive behavior. Men tend to not want to talk about it and acknowledge that [this is happening] so that internal stress can come out as violence or anger, she says.

"I think the big issue for men is to take the depression seriously and be able to recognize it's really happening," says Dr. Hibbert. She adds, "This isn't a weakness, you can't just will it away and try harder and it's going to be better. It's a major life change [you're experiencing]."

You wouldn’t continue to walk on a broken ankle forever. Don’t continue to suffer from depression any longer. Get help now if you love your baby, value your personal health and your family.

Due to stigma associated with mental illness, Psychiatric Disability Organization, a Nakuru based grassroots organization is helping those in need of help to access it discreetly through online platforms like Facebook, mobile App and telepsychiatry.

Get in touch with us online and meet a community of men and women who have overcome challenges of maternal depression and other mental conditions and restored their psychological wellbeing. 

The Author is mental health and child rights advocate and the Founder/CEO of Psychiatric Disability Organization. He can be reached on: [email protected] Website: http://www.pdokenya.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Psychiatricdisability/