Study: Men also suffer from postpartum depression

[Ed Barrow]

For a significant number of fathers, the birth of a baby is followed by a plunge into depression, according to new research that challenges the medical dogma that the "baby blues" are solely the domain of women.

An analysis of 43 studies, including Canadian research, that together involved 28,000 men, found that 10 per cent of expectant or new fathers experience depression — and as many as one in four new dads experiences depression during the three- to six-month period after their baby is born.

It's long been believed that depression in new mothers is due to hormonal changes, says study co-author James Paulson, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School, in Norfolk, Va.

"If you put 100 per cent of your chips on that bet, then really, there's nothing left that you would expect with dads. If moms are getting depressed because of hormone changes, why would dads get depressed? They don't go through the same hormone changes — they don't have to be pregnant, they don't have to deliver the baby. That bias has had a lot do with what people think," Paulson says.

"The fact of the matter is that the evidence of hormone theories and pre- and post-natal depression is pretty inconsistent, and it's not as strong as the evidence on psychosocial factors — things like changes in the relationship, financial stress, social support and social stress, which are reasonable things to expect to affect fathers."


http://www.canada.com/health/also+suffer+from+postpartum+depression+Study/3042719/story.html

[Xipe Totec]

1. That makes me sad

:(

[virgogal]

2. As a woman who gave birth to six,I say "Good."

[ProdigalJunkMail]

3. yeah...cause it's good to wish misery on others... n/t

[seabeyond]

4. of course. lack of sleep lack of sleep lack of sleep. crying. a new energy brought in that has

to have time to merge as a group. work work work

it is not an easy time. or wasnt for me. of course the man is effected too and absurd not to recognize. hubby and i so easy and gentle with each other at this time.

[lumberjack_jeff]

7. the sleep deprivation was horrible.

I don't miss that part at all.

[seabeyond]

8. oh lordy. and my oldest still is not good at sleep. this house was 24 hours until

he hit about 10.

hubby so patient with the babies. so so patient. and he was the one that had to get his arse out fo bed and go to work. i did most all, but he was continually woken and disturbed sleep. i got to be zombie at home. he didnt.

[madokie]

24. I think I remember saying this before

you're a good person. It would only be fitting that you have a mate that is also :hug:

[seabeyond]

25. man

that is nice. thank you. i think the same about you.

[aikoaiko]

10. The sleep deprivation was rough. Our little boy had a rough start & constant vigilance was required.

The sleep deprivation made me have evil thoughts. And that's all I want to say about that.

[seabeyond]

11. yup. and

you dont have to say anymore, wink.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

5. with all the stuff that goes on in the first six months to a year

of a new little one's life it it not surprising that depression would affect even the family pets. why is this a surprise?

sP

[seabeyond]

6. i agree. nt

[DearAbby]

9. Hey guys get the baby blues too?

For some strange sadistic reason, I feel better...mwhahahaha!

[Roon]

12. I know a father who grew with his pregnant wife over 9 months

he gained like 75lbs. while is wife was pregnant.

[DearAbby]

13. Wow, I feel even better!

:::Big toothy grin:::

[Roon]

15. You're EVIL!!

lol

[DearAbby]

17. Mwahahaahahaha!

:rofl:

[Lyric]

14. Of course they do. Maybe they don't have the hormone issues, but

the lack of sleep and the abrupt and traumatic change in established routines are enough to make ANYBODY depressed. The first six weeks with a new baby are a combination of pure heaven and sheer hell. I was lucky--LyricKid was only colicky for about two weeks when he was a month old, but damn...fourteen straight nights of 1-2 hours of sleep?? I was to the point where I'd literally break down and weep in exhaustion and despair whenever I'd hear him start crying again. I never knew how important a decent night's sleep really is until I was forced to go night after night after night without it. Rhythm was working at Hardee's to keep the rent paid and food in the house, and she had to leave every morning at 3:00 am to go make biscuits. She HAD to get some sleep--she had to be able to function in order to work. Therefore, all the baby-care duties fell to me. After the 10th day, I broke down and begged her on my knees to call in sick that morning and let me sleep. Thank god, she did. I think I'd have literally gone insane if she hadn't.

Oh yes, that would make ANYONE depressed--mother, father, or anyone else living in the house and sharing baby-care duties. Ugh.

[seabeyond]

16. and the real kicker, all before experiencing, you hear only the bliss, joy,

heaven.

it was a wtf? for me. lol. i always heard the stories of immediate bonding. didnt happen with me for either one. i cared. i loved. but that bonding took time with both kids. we kinda set up a falsehood for those expecting.

[JCMach1]

18. I have been arguing some time that men (at least some) are affected by female hormones

Without fail, I get bitchy too at that time of month for no particular reason.

We know that women sync menstrual cycles.

There need to be some more studies that take a look at how male and female hormones interact among couples.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. Don't listen to the "EXPERTS".

My experience with one, now grown:

Momma and Baby sleep together. Baby wakes up hungry, mom rolls over, baby latches onto faucet, everybody gets a good night's sleep.

Very simple, but some people just love to make it complicated.

Nurse the baby for as many months as possible for the antibodies to take.

My kid very healthy and grown now. Me I was fed on sobee (Soy milk) in the 50s and I have allergies and autoimmune problems like you would not believe.

And my mom said she had LOTS OF MILK. That pisses me off. I had lots of milk too.

[JCMach1]

22. I was also formula fed in that period that breast feeding was out of fashion

and I have horrible allergies and have even developed asthma as an adult.

[seabeyond]

26. that... would be interesting. hm. nt

[DiverDave]

20. How about when you find out your gonna have a baby?

All those years that I coulda been saving up...and I gotta do it from 40 on.
I figured I wouldn't have any of my own, maybe marry into some.
Then the news, Jeez, all the money I'd blown ...Yes I should have put some aside, but I didn't.
Don't get me wrong, I love the little boogers to death, and am glad they came along.

Now to get that money in the bank for all the things they need as they get older.

So, yeah, not surprised that guys get depressed.

Oh, both our guys slept great from the get go, so I got plenty of sleep.
Just the normal waking up at odd hours and looking at them in wonder and thinking "man, they are soooo awesome" and checking if they are still breathing.

Dave

[CANDO]

21. I wasn't depressed, but...

I lost small patches of hair due to stress. Medical term is Alopecia Areata. Not fun.

[kctim]

23. We also suffer from

post 'I Do' depression.

[Lance_Boyle]

27. I wonder if that extends to postpartum psychosis as well as depression?

Because there are fathers who killed their newborns rotting in prison while child-killing mothers like Andrea Yates are spared prison by virtue of this diagnosis. Could be cause for new trials in some cases.