The Not So Happy Part of Being a New Dad
By Deborah Walker, RP
The information is out there, it has been for some time, not only do new moms experience post partum depression (PDD), new dads do too (McCoy, 2012).
Men with a history of severe depression, depression and anxiety, lower education, number of children, and the wife’s mental status during the pregnancy can be risk factors for the development of post partum depression (McCoy, 2012). Of interest is men usually start to be depressed in the perinatal period of the third trimester of the pregnancy and experience depression and irritability and turned to various means to subside their symptoms (Condon et, al, 2024). It was reported that the reasons for these symptoms was related to the decline in intimacy, however 3 to 12 months post partum there was a return to normalcy (Condon et al, 2004).
Symptoms of post partum depression differ in men than women and may include anger, not the sadness that is experienced in women. Men can become self critical, supress their emotions, avoid, and turn to risky behaviors (Madsen & Juhl, 2007). They can experience increases in energy, on going irritability, low sex drive, frequent mood changes which can be associated with the changes and the demands in the caring for a new born. The things that used to bring him pleasure, feeling worthless as a new dad, social withdraw and a lack in caring for themselves can also be symptoms related to PDD . There are new expectations of new dads which may include taking maternity leave, working from home, and helping more with the child or children.
When men that are becoming first time fathers, they can experience a decrease in testosterone and cortisol levels with an increase in estradiol levels and as the delivery day of the new born approaches there are fluctuations in these hormones(Czerniak et al, 2024). Also, cortisol levels increase in fathers who hear their new born cry and that there is a decrease in cortisol level when they hold the child (Czerniak et al, 2024).
New born vulnerabilities during their early development and a father’s lack of involvement in care may affect the behavioral development of the child, especially in the first year(Lesniewska et., al, 2021) . Men with PPD often speak negatively and are more critical of their child when compared to men who do not develop PDD . Anxious dad’s with PDD seemed to be less able to attend to their newborn’s needs and were not able to respond attentively. A father’s depression and its effects can also affect the intelligence, social connection, and psychological development of the child ( Scarff, 2019; Psouni, et. Al., 2017).
The diagnosis for MDD can be made under the same criteria mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V (DSM-5). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) are two assessments that can help determine how the new dad is being affected by the pregnancy, birth, and changes and challenges to be and yet to come.
The ideal treatment options are to follow the protocol for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) which includes medication, psychotherapy, or both (McCoy, 2012). The challenge is to identify the symptoms in men by family physicians who tend to only diagnose such symptoms in women. Also, men need to be aware of the symptoms and feel encouraged and supported when seeking mental health support. Check-ups as a family, educational and treatment programs designed specifically for men with PDD, as well as better screening tools would be of benefit (McCoy, 2012).