Male Postpartum Depression: Why Is No One Talking About It?
The father is typically seen as the fortress of the family with his superman cape protectively draping his wife who has just given birth.
It is illegal for him to feel anxiety or depression; he dares not show cowardice – not to his wife and not to his friends either, else he is mistaken for a weakling.
Sadly, such astronomical courage expected of the father forces him to ignore symptoms of male postpartum depression.
He mistakes a condition that urgently requires professional medical attention for a weakness in his character. So, he mans up.
But how real is male postpartum depression in dads? Very real, dear!
A study by the American Journal of Men’s Health reveals that 13.3% of expectant fathers experience heightened degrees of depression levels in their partner’s third trimester.
In addition, a 2007 study reveals that for the first eight weeks after their partner gives birth, an estimated 4%-25% of dads experience depression.
So you see, the baby blues (characteristic of depression in just-delivered mothers) is not exclusively a feminine malady.
Men still experience the equivalent – typically classified as paternal postpartum depression (PPND) – after that beautiful baby arrives.
A huge part of treating this condition is having a firm grasp of the contributors to its development. Paternal postpartum depression is more prevalent in young dads.
Also, dads are more likely to experience male postpartum depression if they struggle to build an emotional bond with the baby.
The absence of social support from the father’s circle (spanning friends and family) also raises the risk of PPND.
Shrinking intimacy between partners after childbirth is identified as a risk factor for paternal depression.
Stress from work or financial handicaps also triggers paternal postpartum depression.
Interestingly, a study in 2017 found that fathers with lowered testosterone levels have an increased risk of PPND.
Paternal postpartum depression expresses itself in a broad spectrum of behaviors.
Unexplained bursts of anger, increased irritability, or a strange disinterest in things that formerly excited him can signify PPND.
It is not uncommon to find men experiencing PPND resorting to substance abuse or addictive video gaming and gambling.
Men with PPND can be suddenly prone to perpetrating domestic violence, even as far as admonishing their partner when breastfeeding their child.
If unattended, PPND can offset a hailstorm of marital problems, from increased conflict between couples to propensity of aggravated violence to children as typified in disproportionate child spanking (which the depressed dad commonly mistakes for much-needed discipline).
Yes, dads can (and should) be routinely screened for paternal depression. Admittedly, there are no dedicated diagnostic tools for screening PPND.
Such a lack of universally approved screening equipment means diagnostic tools developed for screening postpartum depression in mothers are adapted to test for paternal depression.
It is too early to call these adaptations successful as some of the adjustments fail to incorporate specific expressions of depression in fathers.
Take, for example, scales for postpartum depression in women barely measure externalizing behaviors. Such behaviors are typical of paternal depression.
However, screening tools like Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) questionnaires used for routine tests in women are validly finding application in screening for postpartum depression in dads – albeit with some small tweaks in the cutoff scores.
The 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire is also a screening option for dads.
With society strewn with expectations of a father being emotionally rock-solid, dads facing depression are likely to brush the condition away as just a rough patch that would readily fade away.
This means the chances of depressed dads coming out and asking for help are incredibly slim.
Unfortunately, it is such an all-is-well pretense that nourishes the aggravation of PPND.
Studies so far have established that the most effective way to treat paternal depression is opening up about the condition and finding someone to talk to.
Ditch the stigma and seek support. You are not weak. Leverage specialized support for paternal depression-like Postpartummen.com.
Remember, self-medication is a precursor to substance abuse; ensure you consult a licensed medical practitioner on medication or therapy options.
So, get the help you need immediately – your beautiful baby and partner can’t wait!
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