Postpartum Depression Isn’t Just for Moms: A Guide for New Fathers
As featured in Fatherhood Channel. The Fatherhood Channel included my perspective in its guide to postpartum depression for new fathers.
Postpartum depression can affect fathers and partners, not only the parent who gave birth. It often shows up as irritability, anger, or withdrawal instead of sadness, and it goes unnoticed because fathers are rarely screened and often feel pressure to stay strong. Peer support and therapy help.
“Knowing that other men feel similarly breaks down walls and encourages openness.”Rachel Goldberg, LMFT, PMH-C, in the Fatherhood Channel
Why it goes unrecognized
Masculine norms and the lack of routine screening for fathers keep many men from asking for help. When postpartum depression shows up as irritability, anger, or pulling away, it is easy for both the father and the people around him to read it as stress or a bad temperament instead of a treatable condition.
What helps
I recommend peer support. Support groups designed for men can help normalize postpartum depression and reduce shame and isolation. Hearing that other men feel the same way breaks down walls and encourages openness.
- Join a support group for new fathers or partners.
- Use individual therapy to work on coping skills, and couples therapy when communication has broken down.
- Share the caregiving load and sleep so exhaustion does not feed the depression.
- Tell your doctor how you have been feeling, not just how the baby is doing.
A note for partners
Postpartum depression can affect partners as well as the parent who gave birth, and it can affect parents whose baby was carried by a gestational carrier. If your mood has changed since a baby arrived, however the baby came to your family, it is worth a conversation with a professional.
Read the full article on Fatherhood Channel
Related reading
- What Does It Mean to Get Your Pink Back?
- There's No One Right Way: The Secrets New Moms Deserve to Hear
Frequently asked questions
Can fathers get postpartum depression?
Yes. Fathers and other non-birthing parents can experience postpartum depression, often with irritability, anger, or withdrawal along with low mood.
What are the signs of postpartum depression in dads?
Common signs include irritability, anger, withdrawal from the family, trouble sleeping beyond what a newborn explains, and loss of interest in things you used to enjoy.
Ready for support?
If you or your partner are struggling after a baby arrives, I provide perinatal and postpartum therapy.
