Can postpartum depression affect men too?

 Saturday, January 4, 2025

Islamabad (UrduPoint News International/ Pakistan Point News - 11th Jan, 2025 ) The results of an 18-month training program to educate parents about the stages of child development, aimed specifically at helping men with postpartum depression, were recently published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

“The children of parents who participated in this training program developed better social and emotional skills than those whose parents did not receive this training,” said Dr. Ishrat Hussain, of the University of Toronto in Canada.

“Why is depression difficult to diagnose in men?

Ishrat Hussain’s recent study focused on mothers experiencing postpartum depression in Pakistan.

“When our team was working with mothers on postpartum depression, their husbands also contacted us and requested similar support for them,” she said.

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The study concluded that support provided to women suffering from postpartum depression (PPD) is also effective to some extent for men, especially when medication is continued.

Experts say that depression in men after childbirth is often overlooked, so people are not even aware that treatment is available.

In addition, research on the socio-cultural factors associated with postpartum depression is very limited. Furthermore, it is not yet clear how effective policy changes for parents, such as ‘parental leave,’ are for the mental health of parents.

Symptoms of depression

Mothers suffering from PPD usually show signs of sadness and anxiety, while symptoms of depression in men are not as pronounced.

These symptoms in men include irritability or anger, isolation or avoiding spending time with the child, drug use, gambling, or other irrational activities, decreased work performance or spending too much time on work, and physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or changes in appetite.

Depression in parents can also affect the child's mental abilities.

As a result, negative changes in the child's behavior, such as anger, depression, or anxiety, may occur. In addition, the child's relationship with his parents may also be affected.

These effects on the child are not limited to the early stages of his childhood, but these problems can persist into adolescence.

Why does postpartum depression occur?

According to Ishrat Hussain, postpartum depression occurs in both men and women due to several factors.

These factors include biological aspects, such as a genetic predisposition to depression. Along with this, psychological factors, such as a decrease in self-esteem, can also be the cause. Additionally, social factors such as financial hardship and social isolation, which new parents often experience, contribute to this depression.

Women's brains undergo significant changes during pregnancy, and hormonal fluctuations occur after childbirth, which can affect their mood.

These changes are not as pronounced in men, but research has shown that men also experience some changes in their hormones after childbirth, which can affect their mental state.