The first step, researchers seem to agree, is improving awareness that paternal prenatal and postpartum depression exists and is likely to affect about one in 10 fathers. With more than 10,000 children being born each day in the U.S. and more than 14 percent of U.S. fathers experiencing some depression during pregnancy or the first year of infancy, "that's not an insignificant number" of men who will get depressed, Courtenay says.
But experts are making headway in informing the medical community—and the general public. Paulson notes that most of the studies he found on paternal depression have been published in the past several years, and other indicators are looking up, as well. Not too long ago, typing "paternal depression" into Google would return the suggestion: "did you mean maternal depression," he noted at the press conference today. The same search now quickly turns up more than 18,000 results.
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8 Comments
Add CommentWhy is this news? First, there needs to be a rigorous distinction drawn between post-partum depression and other types of major depression. Otherwise it's hard to tell if fathers get depressed as a result of a major lifestyle stress-ful event like having a child join the family. Second, as anybody who's lived with a depressed person knows, it IS likely to get depressed as a result of that, so the mother's post partum depression might be a contributing factor.
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It's tricky to parse out whether mothers' depression is hormonal in origin or whether it is a result of a major stressful life event, too.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn all the theories discussed, they missed one that should be quite obvious. No sex! No wonder Dad is depressed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs hit on by people above.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMen's depression during pregnancy is due to having to live with a pregnant woman.
I get depressed at the very thought of my wife ever getting pregnant again.
Child birth is a breeze... living with a pregnant woman... THAT is where the pain is!
/ yes this is tongue in cheek- women, please don't get angry... I know the woman goes through worse- but it is hard on the hubby too.
Humans raising children is not instinctive as to the human cultureal environment so becoming a parent is particularly distressing if there is not enough childrearing supportive environament. That is more relevant when there is more social isolataion as in the toxic nuclear family of overconsumption and work addiction in pursuing the Ameican sweat dream.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNothing new. It�s known as COUVADE SYNDROME and it was described 2000 years ago. Radkin Honzak, psychiatrist
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt´s nothing new. The syndrome is known more than 2000 years and now is known as COUVADE SYNDROME. Jonas
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWHEN NEW MOTHERS AND FATHERS EXPOSE THEIR EYES TO LIGHT WHEN GETTING UP DURING THE NIGHT TOP CARE FOR THEIR BABY, THEY SUPPRESS THEIR PRODUCTION OF MELATONIN, THE SLEEP HORMONE. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SLEEP WELL WHEN RETURNING TO BED. IF THIS HAPPENS REPEATEDLY, IT CAN LEAD TO DEEPRESSION. THE BLUE RAYS IN WHITE LIGHT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MELATONIN SUPPRESSION. BLOCKING THE BLUE RAYS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HELP DEPRESSED MOTHERS RECOVER FROM POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION. BLUE BLOCKING LIGHT BULBS AND EYEGLASSES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET.
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