A TOUCH OF THE BABY (DADDY) BLUES

Postpartum depression is well-documented in mothers - but did you know that fathers can suffer from it too? Supporting your partner through this means being willing to face the facts

Everyone knows that pregnancy, birth and the early stages of motherhood are no picnic for women – but what about dads? While mom’s postpartum depression gets plenty of airtime (and justifiably so), the fact that many first-time (and even second- or third-time) fathers can also experience depression and anxiety is less widely known.

“I have certainly encountered this phenomenon in my practice and in postnatal groups that I’ve facilitated,” says Johannesburg-based clinical psychologist Dr Lynette Roux. “In fact, I think it deserves far more recognition than it gets.”

One study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that one in 10 men around the world suffer from paternal postpartum depression (PPPD), and that it was likely to occur in the three- to six-month post-birth period, “but might insidiously develop over a year rather than the four weeks postpartum”. Other reports state that the number of men who become depressed in the first year after becoming a father is double that of the general population.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Symptoms of PPPD are generally the same as those of a major depressive episode – when five or more of the following symptoms develop within a year postpartum:

• depressed mood and anxiety

• diminished interest in previously enjoyed activities, withdrawal

• insomnia

• significant weight loss or gain

• fatigue