POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION IN MEN

By Lindsay Grubb

Most men have been taught to hide their pain. Hiding your depression only worsens the condition.

Studies have shown that a father’s postpartum depression has a greater negative impact on the

emotional and behavioural development of his child, than a mother’s postpartum depression. This is

thought to be because mothers in general spend more time with their children than fathers do, so

even if they become less communicative with their child, there is still a level of interaction achieved.

When a father who is experiencing postpartum depression withdraws from interaction with his child,

or that interaction becomes negatively charged, it can greatly reduce the interaction with the child

and therefore has a greater effect on the child. The best thing you can do for your child’s future is to

get help for yourself.

According to Dr Will Courtney, a Berkley, Calif., psychotherapist who specialises in helping men with

postpartum depression, in the United States, there are more than 1,000 men daily, who become

depressed after the birth of a new baby. He suggests in an interview with NEWSWEEK's Christina

Gillham that some studies show that the number could be as high as 3,000 per day. In the United

States, this means that one in four fathers could experience this problem – roughly the same

percentage of women affected.

Dr Courtney runs the web site www.sadDaddy.com and he had the following insights to impart to

Christina in their interview:

What kinds of men are more susceptible to postpartum depression?

o Men who have a history of depression

o A man who has a rocky relationship with his partner or who is experiencing stress

about becoming a father

o A man who has a lack of support from others

o A man who has economic problems – men see themselves as the primary

breadwinner. The stress of needing to provide for one’s family can be a trigger for

depression.

o A man suffering from sleep deprivation

o A man whose partner is suffering from postpartum depression

He noted that men’s hormones also change both during pregnancy and early in the postpartum

period saying that their testosterone levels go down and oestrogen levels go up.

He went on to say that men project their signs of depression differently to women. The often

increase their work hours, become a little-short tempered, start having a couple of beers at lunch,

sometimes even having an affair, or gambling, sudden spending sprees, are signs of depression.

They often experience an increase in impulsiveness. However you also often see the classic signs of

depression, including sadness, a loss of pleasure in hobbies or sex, a sense of worthlessness and

suicidal thoughts. Men are more likely than women to hide depression from others, and therefore it

is important to look out for signs of anything unusual.

Fathers have to be the rock for the new family. We live with a culture that tends to deny a man’s

depression in general, and in particular, when it comes to postpartum depression, the focus is

usually on the mother and her needs. This makes it very difficult for men to come forward.

Men also experience the symptoms that women with postpartum depression experience, including

negative feelings towards the child or wanting to hurt the child. With men and women it is a very

minute number who actually follow through on that, but it is something we need to keep in mind

and watch for.

As effective treatment for male postpartum depression Dr Courtney recommends that the man

meet with a licensed mental-health professional to discuss the range of options available to him.

Some basic treatments include exercise, mindful meditation and medication. The biggest issue facing

men is that they think they can go it alone and fix it themselves. There are serious consequences to

men’s depression that goes undiagnosed, the most serious being suicide. It can also have a huge

impact on his marriage, his children and his career.

Changing social expectations can also trigger postpartum depression in men. They are taking a more

active role in their children’s lives than their fathers did with them, and a lot of men aren’t sure what

they’re supposed to be doing as fathers. It can lead to feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty, which

leads to anxiety and often to depression.

Ways to prevent the onset of postpartum depression in men include identifying and addressing

potential risk factors or causes before they happen. If a man is prone to depression he should see a

mental-health professional before the child is born and anticipate the recurrence of his depression.

If he and his partner are experiencing problems in their relationship, they should see a professional

before the child is born. If the father to be is concerned about his abilities to support his family

financially he should take the time to look at his finances and work out a budget. These steps can go

a long way to relieving stress.

For the full interview with Dr Courtney click here.

USEFUL CONTACTS, LINKS AND ARTICLES

1. The Post Natal Depression Support Association

If you need help whether you think you have baby blues or postpartum depression, please

contact the PNDSA on the following contact details:

National help-line: +27 (0)82 882 0072

CAPE TOWN: Office Telephone / Fax: +27 (0)21 797 4498 Email: info@pndsa.org.za

GAUTENG: Help Line: +27 (0)82 429 2279 Debbie Levin: +27 (0)11 786 8803 Email:

pndsagauteng@gmail.com

Website: http://www.pndsa.co.za/index.html

PNDSA is a non-profit organisation dedicated to:

providing information and support for women from all walks of life, who are experiencing

Postnatal Depression, and their families, in order to ensure early identification, timeous

referral and effective treatment;

educating and creating awareness and sensitivity in all professionals who are in contact with

women who may be at risk for Postnatal Depression;

providing an effective network of support for those suffering the effects of Postnatal

Depression, including telephone counselling, home and hospital visiting, group support, and

referral to sympathetic professionals for medication and/or therapy;

networking and lobbying health authorities nationally, with the purpose of empowering

women, and influencing policy-making at all levels, in order to create a mother/baby/family-

friendly society within the health system of South Africa;

educating the general public, in order to combat the ignorance, intolerance, and fear of

being stigmatised, which prevents mothers from acknowledging that they are struggling with

the effects of Postnatal Depression;

preventing possible child abuse and neglect, resulting from the inability of many depressed

mothers to care adequately for their children;

preventing long-lasting adverse effects on the social, intellectual and emotional

development of the children of mothers who suffer from Postnatal Depression;

preventing the breakdown of marriage relationships, which often result from the stresses of

untreated Postnatal Depression, through support of partners and other significant members

of the family;

providing training of support workers in all communities;

encouraging and disseminating research related to Postnatal Depression in South Africa;

networking with other professional and voluntary organisations, nationally and

internationally, who are concerned with the support, care and education of mothers in the

ante- and post-natal period.

PNDSA also provides:

o Assessment interviews, counselling, support groups, training workshops for

professionals & volunteers, telephonic support & counselling, conference & other

presentations, distribution of informational material & pamphlets, lectures to health

professionals & the general public, hospital visits by volunteers, media interviews, a

resource centre & library (for PNDSA members), special interest group meetings for

professional members and a quarterly newsletter.

2. Interview with Dr Courtney - http://www.newsweek.com/2009/04/06/understanding-

male-post-partum-depression.html

3. Dr Courtney’s male postpartum depression website - www.sadDaddy.com

4. Understanding Male Post-Partum Depression -

http://www.newsweek.com/2009/04/06/understanding-male-post-partum-

depression.html

5. Study: Postpartum depression affects fathers too -

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/mentalhealth/la-sci-postpartum-fathers-

20100519,0,3479195.story

6. New Dads, Too, Can Suffer Depression -

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703957904575252263501070290.html

7. Postpartum depression hits as many dads as moms -

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-05-19-dad19_ST_N.htm

8. Postpartum Depression for New Fathers - Rare Study Looks at Psychological Effect of

Childbirth on New Dads - http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/postpartum-

depression-fathers/story?id=10672383&page=1

9. Study Finds Dads Suffer Postpartum Depression -

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126905558

10. http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/also+suffer+from+postpartum+depression+Stu

dy/3042719/story.html

11. Post-Partum Depression in Men: One Dad's Story - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-

schwartzberg/post-partum-depression-in_b_580083.html

12. Even Daddies get the blues - http://www.postpartummen.com/DadPPD.pdf

13. Depression: Exposing Men's Hidden Killer -

http://www.mdbayarea.com/index.cfm/article_194.htm

14. Men also suffer from postpartum depression: Study -

http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/also+suffer+from+postpartum+depression+Stu

dy/3042719/story.html

15. Babies2Sleep

Helps parents develop the tools they need to improve their baby’s sleep. Provides custom

plans to bring more restful nights to families with infants and toddlers.

www.Babies2Sleep.com

16. Greatdad.com

Great Dad provides advice for dad - new, divorced, stay at home dads and single dads on

parenting, pregnancy care, adoption, child care, bringing up kids and teens.

http://greatdad.com/

17. Postpartum Depression for Dummies, by Dr. Shoshana Bennett

18. The Postpartum Husband: Practical Solutions for Living with Postpartum Depression, by

Karen Kleiman, MSW