Do Doting Fathers Suffer Postpartum Depression?

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New dads or fathers-to-be can suffer from postpartum depression which can have adverse effects on their partners' health. Given how mothers' and fathers' physical and mental health are intertwined, addressing fathers' health may be a potent underutilized tool in resolving the chronic maternal health issue ().

The study, published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, was conducted at UI Health's Two-Generation Clinic.

Screening Postpartum Depression in New Dads

The researchers got mothers' permission to interview and screen 24 dads, 30% of whom were screened positive for postpartum depression with the same tool that is commonly used to screen moms. Lead author Dr. Sam Wainwright said this points to the importance of asking new dads how they're doing.

‘Taking care of new dads' postpartum depression can greatly improve maternal health, creating a more wholesome, healthier family. #newdads #postpartumdepression #maternalhealth’

"A lot of dads are stressed. They're scared. They're struggling with balancing work and parental and partner responsibilities," he said. "Men are often not doing well, but no one is asking them about it."

Other studies have estimated that 8% to 13% of new fathers have postpartum depression. Wainwright suspects this study's rate was higher because nearly 90% of the participants identified as being from a racial or ethnic group that faces issues of structural racism and social determinants that can worsen mental health.

Opened in 2020, the clinic grew out of the understanding that new mothers, especially low-resource mothers of color who are taking on parenthood alongside a host of structural challenges, often do not prioritize their own health care.

However, they are often very diligent in bringing their children to the doctor, Wainwright explained. The Two-Generation Clinic capitalizes on children's visits by offering moms primary care at the same time.

Father's Postpartum Depression can Affect Maternal Health

Members of the clinic team began chatting with dads to see how they were doing. Wainwright said they'd often hear comments such as, "I'm really stressed, but I don't want my partner to know because I'm here to support her." This study grew out of those conversations.

Those conversations also spurred a larger research project that Wainwright has begun to learn more about the experiences of dads, especially as related to their mental and physical health. Perhaps well-baby visits aren't the only place to reach dads, he said, so he's started talking to fathers-to-be in the obstetrics waiting area, too. He's also asking to screen dads for conditions like high blood pressure during these conversations.

"A woman at risk for postpartum depression is much more likely to get postpartum depression if she has a depressed partner," said Wainwright, assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics.

The medical world struggles to connect with young men, who often aren't eager to see a doctor, Wainwright said, so reaching them as they enter fatherhood presents an important opportunity. In fact, some of the men in the postpartum depression study who did not have a primary care physician are now seeing Wainwright for medical care, and others requested mental health services.

The overarching goal of this line of research is to better understand how to help men stay healthy so that their relationships and families are healthy, too, Wainwright explained.

Reference:

1. Screening fathers for postpartum depression in a maternal-child health clinic: a program evaluation in a midwest urban academic medical center - (https:bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-023-05966-y)

Source: Eurekalert