When most people think about postpartum depression (PPD), they often associate it with the mother or the parent who gave birth. However, cisgender men and other nonbirthing partners can experience depression around the time their baby is born, too. In fact, this isn’t uncommon at all. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, about 1 in 10 fathers experience depression just before or just after their baby is born.

If you’ve developed depression around the birth of a child, or if you think your partner may be experiencing it, it’s important to understand how PPD works. That way, you can get an accurate diagnosis and find treatment options and coping tools that work for you. Treatment can help raise your quality of life and sense of well-being. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is Paternal Postpartum Depression?

Paternal postpartum depression (PPPD), also known as paternal postnatal depression, is a mental health condition that occurs in fathers around the birth of their child. It’s common enough that many healthcare professionals are beginning to screen fathers and other nonbirthing parents, in addition to mothers, after their baby is born.

According to UT Southwestern Medical Center, depression in men is also common before a baby is born, particularly in the first trimester of a pregnancy. After the birth, it’s most common when the baby is between 3 and 6 months old.

Paternal postpartum depression can change the way that you interact with your new baby. If you’re living with PPD, you might pay less attention to your baby’s health and medical visits. Your relationships with your children, partner, and other family members can suffer. As your children grow, they may experience more behavioral, physical, and mental health problems.

For all these reasons, it’s important for you to understand paternal PPPD and seek treatment.

What Are the Causes and Risk Factors of Paternal PPD?

There’s no single known cause of PPPD. Instead, it seems to be associated with a number of factors.

Changes in Hormones

Hormonal changes are a significant cause of PPPD. Most people know that mothers experience hormonal changes during pregnancy, but men and nonbirthing parents can experience significant hormonal fluctuations around the birth of a baby, too, and these fluctuations can cause depressive feelings.

Relationship Changes

According to UT Southwestern Medical Center, up to half of men who experience paternal PPD also have partners who feel depressed. Relationships change after a baby is born, too. Some parents may feel like they aren’t as important to their partners anymore, or they may feel like they’re pushed outside of the relationship between the mother and baby.

Family History of Depression

People with a family history of depression are more likely to experience PPPD, as are individuals who don’t have the coping skills that parenting requires. Additionally, many new parents experience extreme sleep deprivation. Inadequate sleep can have a significant, negative impact on your mental health.

Stress

Some new fathers experience stress around their gender role as a man. They may feel pressure to provide financially for the baby, or pressure to feel ecstatic about the baby when what they really feel is being fatigued (tired), overwhelmed, and confused.

Men are more likely to experience paternal PPD if they are experiencing other kinds of stress, including:

• Relationship issues and challenges
• Recent trauma or loss
• A premature or colicky baby
• Financial stress
• Lack of social support
• Insufficient parental leave at work

What Are the Signs of Male Postpartum Depression?

PPPD can look the same in men, women, or parents of any gender, but men may show fewer external signs, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center. For instance, they may not be weepy or cry a lot. If you’re concerned about PPPD in yourself or someone in your life, look for:

• Violent behavior, outbursts, or anger that seems to come out of nowhere
• Stomach aches, headaches, muscle pain, or other unusual physical issues
• Withdrawal from relationships, including from the child’s other parent
• Lack of motivation
• Higher levels of irritability than usual
• Difficulty concentrating
• Urges to work a lot more or a lot less than usual
• Risky behavior, including drinking more alcohol than usual or using harmful drugs
• Thoughts of suicide
• Loss of interest in beloved activities
• Excessive sense of being overwhelmed
• Difficult feelings like frustration, discouragement, hopelessness, sadness, or cynicism

If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, it’s time to talk to a healthcare provider. While providers are encouraged to screen men for symptoms of postpartum depression, you may develop symptoms after the screening. If you recognize yourself in this list of symptoms, you can reach out to your primary care doctor or a mental health professional, like a psychologist, to receive care.

How Can Dads Cope With Paternal Postpartum Depression?

If you or your partner is experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, help and support are available to you.

Talk to Your Doctor

If you’re living with PPD, talk to a healthcare provider as soon as you recognize symptoms. There are a variety of treatment options for men and other nonbirthing parents with PPD, and your provider can work with you to find the best ones for your needs.

Most of the time, treatment involves psychotherapy and medication, and sometimes a combination of both. You may find that talk therapy, where you sit and talk with a therapist, is helpful for you. Others find that joint therapy with their partner is useful, especially if they’re both dealing with depression or other mental health conditions after the birth of a child.

Many women with postpartum depression have found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) are two types of therapy that can help, and according to the journal Innovations in Clinical Research, they may be useful for men, too. There are also a variety of antidepressant medications that may ease symptoms.

Seek Support

There are many ways you can seek support. You can participate in an educational program about babies and becoming a new father or new parent. You can ask your employer for paid leave and take all the time that they offer. You can also try to balance and share parental responsibilities with your partner or others who may be able to step in to help. Having help with the baby can give you time for self-care.

Practice Self-Care

Taking care of yourself may be easier said than done, especially when you now have another person to take care of. It can be easy to neglect your own needs to care for your baby or your partner during this transition. But you deserve and need self-care. Taking care of yourself can help you better support your baby and partner, too.

When you have time, try to rest as much as you can, eat well, and exercise. You might also try staying away from risky behaviors, like excessive drinking, using dangerous drugs, and gambling, as these may worsen or trigger symptoms.

Spend Time With Your Baby and Partner

Activities like feeding, changing, and bathing your baby can help the two of you bond, which can help with symptoms of postpartum depression. Try to be as involved as you can with your baby. It’s also beneficial to make time for yourself and your partner, both with the baby and without.

Be Patient

It takes time to learn how to be a parent and become comfortable in the role. It’s important to be open and honest about what you’re feeling with yourself, your loved ones, and your healthcare provider. These strategies can help you find your confidence and learn to love being a new dad.

Resources for New Dads Dealing With Paternal PPD

If you’re dealing with paternal PPD, there are places you can turn to for help. Here are some resources that offer assistance:

• Postpartum International Support offers men a helpline, support groups, a peer mentor program, chances to chat with experts, and a Facebook group. These tools are targeted toward nonbirthing parents’ needs in the postpartum period.
• The National Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline can provide support if you’re feeling down, discouraged, or suicidal. They can help you in the moment and connect you to resources in your area.
• Despite its name, the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance offers a variety of resources for parents of all genders, from books to podcasts to online courses. If you feel like one of these would help you on your journey, their list will point you in the right direction.

Your best resource may be your own doctor. They know you personally and they may have connections in your local area that you won’t find online. They should be able to help you get the support you need so you can be the dad or parent you want to be.

Find Your Team

MyDepressionTeam is the social network for people living with all types of depression, including postpartum depression, and their loved ones. Members come together to ask questions, offer support and advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with PPD.

Did you know about the risk factors for postpartum depression before your baby was born? Do you have any advice for others managing these risks? Share your experience, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.