Recently my husband heard a doctor on Sirius radio discuss postpartum depression (PPD) in men. He said, “I think that’s what was wrong with me” and went on to say that he related to almost everything the doctor mentioned regarding PPD.
Unfortunately, he felt that he had to be strong for me and the family as our preemie fought in the NICU. I’m glad that he feels better now and I wish that I was able to help him at the time. Science Daily describes a study on this very thing along with recommendations for helping men coping with PPD.
Between 5 and 10 percent of new fathers in the United States suffer from PPD, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. One study shows that the risk goes up to 24 to 50 percent for men whose partners suffer from PPD.
A new study offers an in-depth view of new fathers’ experiences with postpartum depression (PPD). The study explores issues they encounter and how they can move beyond barriers they face in receiving diagnoses and treatment of the little-known phenomenon.
“The expectations society gives to men of what they are supposed to be, what they are supposed to do, and how they do it was a significant factor on how many of these men chose to cope with life stressors,” the UNLV researchers wrote.
Read more at sciencedaily.com
