After ages of being dismissed as “baby blues,” postpartum depression, anxiety and even psychosis are finally being taken seriously.
But while moms are dealing with massive hormonal changes on top of stress and sleep deprivation, dads’ mental health can also face challenges.
And a new study published in JAMA Network Open found that fathers’ risk for depression and stress-related disorders goes up at a surprising time.
While a new baby brings on huge amounts of change and stress for both parents, a father’s mental health often goes under the radar, according to Dr. Khatiya Moon, medical director for the collaborative care program at Northwell Health.
“Screening for mental health concerns in fathers is important and is something that isn’t really done very much,” Moon told The Post. “Maybe if we did more screening, we’d have more opportunity to catch fathers when they’re struggling and support them.”
The new study, published today, found that dads’ likelihood of developing depression and stress-related disorders actually jumps by more than 30% towards the end of their child’s first year.
The researchers tracked over 1 million fathers whose children were born in Sweden between 2003 and 2021.
They found that the risk of receiving a diagnosis actually decreased during pregnancy and in the first few months after birth.
A year after childbirth, the rate of anxiety as well as alcohol- and drug-related diagnoses returned to levels similar to those before pregnancy.
But a delayed increase was largely noticeable for depression and stress-related disorders — a jump that was unexpected, according to the research team.
“The delayed increase in depression… underscores the need to pay attention to warning signs of mental ill-health in fathers long after the birth of their child,” corresponding study author Donghao Lu said in a press release.
Moon believes men may be susceptible to mental health struggles due to the focus largely being on the new mother and infant, as well as the new parents shifting into survival mode during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
“Oftentimes, I think fathers take on a more supportive role, which may make sense in the context of how vulnerable the pregnant person and infant are,” she said. “I wonder if that takes a bit of a toll or that eventually gets more difficult to sustain.”
And while the study only looked at men who received clinical diagnoses, the results paint a clear picture of when mental health risks may be greatest during parenthood.
Although it can be difficult, men who are struggling with the reality of new fatherhood should seek out help, with Moon noting that they can’t take on a supportive role if they’re not feeling supported themselves.
“I would advise paying attention to any kind of mental health concerns or symptoms that are coming up,” she explained. “There’s also less of a sense of community for fathers because new moms and pregnant people attend so many appointments and have so much engagement.”
“So, to the extent that fathers can seek out that kind of support or even start them in their own communities, I think that would be beneficial,” Moon added.
Partners or family members of new dads can also try to pay attention to the father’s emotions and encourage them to seek support if any issues arise.
And if both parents are struggling, resources like couples counseling can offer help during a time of big changes.
“Whenever there’s a big transition in a family, there can always be conflict,” Moon said. “It’s always helpful to have someone to talk to about that conflict together so you can start your family off strong.”
