Fathers Can Get Postpartum Depression Too–Here Are The Symptoms To Watch Out For

It’s not too often that we hear about fathers getting postpartum depression (PPD), but science says it can and does happen. And when it does, men don’t often seek help because it can be hard to detect or recognize the symptoms. Even if they do, there’s the whole challenge of acceptance because of possible social stigma. 

Author Kim Hooper, in her article in The New York Times titled “I Gave Birth, but My Husband Developed Postpartum Depression,” narrates her experience in dealing with her husband’s struggle with postpartum depression after the birth of their daughter.

“I’d never thought about the possibility of men struggling with depression after the birth of a child,” she wrote. “At the time I was focused on the well-being of our daughter, as well as my own physical and mental health. But men do struggle also.”

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As per her article, men develop the condition slowly in the course of a year after the baby is born. In her case, Hooper had suspected there was a problem early on as her husband became more ‘frustrated, irritable, and detached.’ 

“He went to bed before 7 p.m., claiming exhaustion, though I was the one getting up with our daughter every night. He snapped at the littlest things. He just wanted to be left alone,” she shared. 

When Hooper would try to initiate a conversation, she would be told “I’m fine.” Having suffered from depression too, it was a line she said she easily recognized as a ‘lie’ just to avoid further interrogation.

'Unlike women, men are often socialized to value independence, dominance, stoicism, strength, self-reliance and control over their emotions, and many see weakness as shameful

Then there’s also the issue of social stigma. “Unlike women, men are often socialized to value independence, dominance, stoicism, strength, self-reliance and control over their emotions, and many see weakness as shameful,” she writes.

Identifying PPD in men

Often defined as an episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) occurring soon after the birth of a child, PPD in men is less understood compared to women and has no established criteria according to a published abstract by Jonathan R. Scarff, MD in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) site.

What is certain is that PPD could “present over the course of a year, with symptoms of irritability restricted emotions, and depression.” Men are at greater risk if they have a history of depression in either parent, poverty, and hormonal changes,” the abstract adds. 

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PPD occurrs in approximately 8 to 10 percent of fathers and has the highest prevalence within 3 to 6 months postpartum. The abstract notes symptoms can “generally resemble those in women.”

Diagnosing PPD, whether in men or women, are based on the frequency in which the following criteria occur within a day:

• Depressed mood 
• Markedly diminished interest or pleasure 
• Significant weight loss even if not dieting or weight gain
• Insomnia or hypersomnia
• Psychomotor agitation or retardation
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt
• Diminished ability to think or concentrate or indecisiveness

The abstract also notes that during the course of pregnancy to birth, fathers experience hormonal changes and that these “might predispose the father to experience PPD or exacerbate existing symptoms associated with PPD.”

The abstract elaborates that low testosterone, for example, has been directly linked to symptoms of depression in men.

'While maternal postpartum depression is widely discussed and recognized as a serious health issue, it’s often hard for people to take seriously the idea of a man having similar problems.

On the other hand, low levels of estrogen, prolactin, vasopressin, and/or cortisol in new fathers “might cause difficulties in father-infant bonding/attachment, which in turn can contribute to depressed mood in the father.”

Seeking help can be more difficult for men

When one sees the signs of PPD, it’s important to seek help. But, as Hooper’s story demonstrates, getting men to see a doctor is a whole different challenge. She writes: “While maternal postpartum depression is widely discussed and recognized as a serious health issue, it’s often hard for people to take seriously the idea of a man having similar problems.

My husband, for one, found it ‘ridiculous’.” She also noted that men are half as likely to seek help compared to women and will only concede to treatment when their ‘partners are distressed by their behavior’ which was true in Hooper’s case. It took her months of prodding before her husband agreed to see a doctor. 

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In treating PPD in men, Dr. Scarff’s abstract cites that those recommended are almost the same as that for women as symptoms in both genders can be similar. These include:

• Taking antidepressants
• Couples Psychotherapy 
• Interpersonal therapy
• Daily morning light since PPD has a correlation to circadian rhythm disturbance 

Other interventions can also include emotional support and, in the workplace, paid paternity can help alleviate stressors during the postpartum period. 

While often overlooked, educational programs that talk about PPD in men can also be a key to its early diagnosis.

As Hooper writes, she wondered whether they could have addressed her husband’s depression much sooner if the parent prep class they both attended pre-partum even mentioned it or if an equivalent of a ‘depression screener’ like the one she took during their daughter doctor’s visit was also available for males.

By talking about PPD in men as often as we do in women, the easier it will be for those with the condition to confidently seek help. To quote the psychologist, Dr. Dan Singley from San Diego, which Hooper mentions in her article, “It takes a real paradigm shift to include both parents when we talk about mental health.”