Ali is a 25-year-old who recently became a new father. He has a stable enjoyable job, a good lifestyle, and a loving family. However, ever since the birth of his newborn daughter, he has been feeling out of place. He constantly finds himself questioning his abilities as a father when dealing with his newborn became hard. Later, these questions turned into anger, disappointment, and self-criticism. He started criticizing his masculinity and not being able to handle parenthood like he thought he would. He felt weak and useless as a father and as a husband.
Unfortunately, the experience Ali is facing is not uncommon for fathers. Only recently have people started recognizing postpartum depression or postnatal depression in mothers. However, this mental health disorder is also likely to occur in men as well. According to some research, about 10% of fathers experience symptoms of postpartum depression. Other research suggests that the number may be up to one in four fathers. Additionally, paternal postpartum depression is positively correlated with maternal postpartum depression. This correlation means that one is likely to have postpartum depression if the other also has it. However, fathers tend to experience the symptoms in the first three to six months after the birth of the newborn. Moreover, men who have a history of depression are at a higher risk of experiencing postpartum depression.
Factors that Influence Postpartum Depression in Men
Many factors could be at play that could influence postpartum depression in men. The first factor may be the difference in attention from their partner. These fathers may be used to having the attention of their partner on them. Nevertheless, when the baby is born, mothers naturally tend to divert their attention to their newborn and the bond between them. In this case, the father could feel left out or find it difficult to deal with the attention change.
Another factor may be the increased pressure to provide for the family. After a baby is born, financial responsibilities may increase. This could lead to increased pressure on the breadwinners of the family, which is usually the fathers. Additionally, people expect fathers to be overjoyed about the birth of their newborns. If they do not feel this way, people judge them, which may lead to more feelings of guilt. Lastly, having a newborn leads to a lack of sleep and a lack of sexual intimacy in both partners. These factors combined together can greatly impact your mood and behavior.
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression in Men
Although postpartum depression is not commonly recognized in men, there are many symptoms that we can look out for. These symptoms include behavioral ones such as anger, aggression, or irritability. These fathers also start becoming distant or withdrawn from their family and friends. Moreover, feeling frustrated, cynical, sad, hopeless, overwhelmed, or discouraged are also symptoms common in postpartum depression. Furthermore, these fathers drown themselves in work to compensate for what they are experiencing.
Prevention Mechanisms
It is difficult to fully prevent postpartum depression. However, support is highly important to decrease the symptoms of the mental disorder. Parenting groups are a great support group, especially for parents struggling with parenthood. Eating well and exercising are common prevention advice psychologists recommend. Resting and avoiding drinking, gambling, and other activities are also recommended. However, these recommendations are difficult to implement when you do not have the luxury of time, finance, and other resources. Unfortunately, the stigma around the mental health of men in general makes all of this experience even more difficult to deal with. Nonetheless, one of the pieces of advice that apply to all fathers is talking about how they are feeling about a loved one. Talking to someone you trust, whether it is a sibling, friend, or partner, could make a significant difference. Of course, when possible, therapy is a good option, too.