Postpartum depression is a draining and potentially dangerous condition for moms that can present shortly after giving birth. Now there’s evidence that new dads, too, may experience increased depression symptoms, often being diagnosed with new psychiatric disorders near the end of baby’s first year of life.
In fact, dads are about 30% more likely to be diagnosed during this period.
The new information highlights a need for better mental health maintenance for men and heightened awareness of how both parents can struggle after bringing home a new baby.
Men’s Mental Health During Pregnancy & Early Parenthood
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, was conducted in Sweden, where healthcare access and health registries enable such research to include virtually everyone in the country who meets the criteria. In this case, that’s all fathers of children born in Sweden between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2021 — adding up to almost two million babies, and almost 1.1 million dads.
One of the more surprising results of the study was that the likelihood of a man being diagnosed with a new disorder relating to stress, anxiety, or depression actually decreased somewhat during the pregnancy period, and during the early months with their newborn.
These are the same time periods when women are more likely to have additional struggles with physical and mental health, so it’s not entirely clear whether men just have fewer mental health struggles during this period, or if this is the time when they’re likely to be stepping up for their partner, and suppressing symptoms until the chaos dies down a bit later in the first year.
As The First Birthday Approaches, More Dads Are Diagnosed
After a drop in diagnoses for new dads, near the end of the first postpartum year, there’s a reversal.
The reason isn’t clear. It could relate to dads suppressing mental health symptoms for a time while the mother’s need is greatest; to changes in responsibility at the point when the parents return to work (in Sweden the two get a total of about 16 months, according to LegalClarity, which can be split evenly or one parent can take longer leave); or to other unexplored factors.
Whatever the reason, at the end of the baby’s first year, the study shows that these dads are about 30% more likely to be diagnosed with a new psychiatric disorder related to stress or depression, compared to diagnoses before their partner’s pregnancy.
This data emphasizes that mental health struggles when a new baby is born aren’t just for one parent. Both can struggle, and the concurrence of new stressors may be a significant factor.
What Can Parents Take From This?
Further studies could show whether this applies differently in countries where paid parental leave isn’t guaranteed, and how it shifts in countries where health care isn’t always as accessible.
However, the data from Sweden shows one thing clearly: dads feel the stress of a new baby too, and they also need support, even if the moment it hits them hardest is not the same as when moms may suffer most.
It emphasizes that all parents need to be vigilant about taking care of their own mental health during pregnancy and when there’s a new baby in the home, both for their own benefit and for their partner and child(ren).
It also re-emphasizes that, no matter how excited new parents are and how much they adore their new baby, all parents need and deserve the support of their communities, especially in the first year.
