Parents can also experience postpartum depression

Although postpartum depression has been formally recognized since at least the 14th century, it wasn't until well into the 20th century that it was labeled and defined as we understand it today: a mood disorder, in some cases severe enough to threaten survival, that appears around the time of childbirth. It could affect, on average, 10-20% of women. In fact, it is estimated to be the most common mental illness worldwide and the second leading cause of disability. Furthermore, it has been shown to be independent of age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic and cultural factors. Despite being so common, its causes are still unknown, although it is assumed that hormonal changes related to pregnancy play a significant role, along with various social and emotional factors and the fatigue inherent in the situation. The illness likely has more complex roots, because we have recently seen that men can also suffer from this type of problem. In fact, postpartum depression in men could be almost as common as in women (around 10% on average, although in some countries it's closer to 20%), but it's still less studied and often goes unnoticed. This is understandable: mothers bear the full weight of pregnancy, which is why we've traditionally paid little attention to the mental health of fathers.

It affects one in ten men on average.

But it's been known for some time that pregnancy also affects men, and not just emotionally. A few weeks ago we were talking about complexes. changes that hormones cause in the female brain. Males also exhibit alterations, although less drastic, primarily driven by hormones like oxytocin, which, among other functions, modulates bonds with close individuals. In this case, the bond with the unborn child and its mother is especially strengthened, while testosterone levels are significantly reduced to lessen violent tendencies. This might seem like a normal occurrence that happens spontaneously in all animals, but we should remember that most primates often exhibit aggressive behavior toward their offspring, both their own and those of others, and infanticide is quite common in our evolutionary lineage. Human males are the exception; natural selection has led them to feel a stronger connection to their offspring.

It should come as no surprise, then, that fathers can also suffer from postpartum depression. In this case, the causes are also unknown, but similar risk factors have been identified: the magnitude of the adjustment to fatherhood, a prior or family history of depression, changes in sleep patterns, financial and work pressures, changes in the dynamics of the couple, other forms of stress, etc. It seems to be more frequent when the baby is between three and six months old (in women it can occur at any time, including during pregnancy), and it often coincides with the mother's: in half of postpartum depression in women The male version is also visible.

Furthermore, it is added here as one of the main parameters that fathers often feel excluded from the new unit formed by the mother and child, which tends to be more physical and intense and receives all the attention, both from society and from doctors. The fact that Parents are now more involved in raising their children than in previous generations, but Perhaps they are not receiving adequate social support for their new role, which could be one of the keys to the problem. This would be complicated by the fact that fathers might hide their vulnerability in order to better fit into the traditional role of supporting the mother, and the diagnosis would go more unnoticed.

The role that hormones play, on the other hand, is not so clear, and is certainly less relevant than in the case of women. There are studies that link low testosterone levels with a general increased risk of depression, but it is not known if this is relevant in these cases. More research will be needed to assess whether there is any implication.

Fortunately, both gynecologists and pediatricians are now more alert to a possible diagnosis of postpartum depression in mothers than they were a few decades ago, and there are even questionnaires specifically designed to detect it, such as the EDPs (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), the most widely used tool. However, the mental health of fathers is less routinely examined, although trends are changing. For example, the EDPs has been validated to ensure that it also works for men. It is therefore important that everyone is aware that the illness exists and that, as in women, it can be treated, both with psychotherapy and, if necessary, with medication, which is more effective the earlier the problem is detected. To ensure the health of everyone involved, it is important to change the perspective and begin to see the parent couple as a unit with some problems that can affect both members separately and sometimes even be shared.