Should dads be screened for postpartum depression too?

Mothers aren’t the only ones who battle postpartum depression (PPD) in the first year after giving birth. Dads do, too. So why aren’t they being screened for paternal PPD?

A recent study in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth asked the same question.

In fact, the researchers launched a pilot study at the University of Illinois Chicago. After talking to dads who brought their newborns to well-checks, the researchers realized that men are often left out of the postpartum mental health conversation. They then screened 24 new fathers using the same tool that assesses women in the weeks after giving birth. And of the dads, 30% were found to have postpartum depression. The average age of the dads was 31 years old.

“A lot of dads are stressed. They’re scared. They’re struggling with balancing work and parental and partner responsibilities,” Sam Wainwright, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics and lead author from UI Health, said. “Men are often not doing well, but no one is asking them about it.”

Our mental health can be quite intertwined with our partners’, so addressing paternal mental health may be a powerful untapped tool in improving the nation’s mental health crisis, the researchers said in a statement. And mama, when your partner gets sufficient support, it may help you if you’re dealing with PPD as well.

“A woman at risk for postpartum depression is much more likely to get postpartum depression if she has a depressed partner,” Wainwright said.

Wainwright thinks this study’s findings of paternal PPD are higher, because the study participants were primarily from racial or ethnic backgrounds that face worse health or structural racism compared to others. In other words, they may be more likely to be grappling with social determinants that can worsen their mental health. Previous studies estimate that PPD only occurs in 8% to 13% of dads.

The study was small, but the findings are still important. “This small sample of fathers demonstrated significant peripartum mental health challenges unlikely to have been identified otherwise,” the authors wrote in their report. The majority of participants (54%) didn’t have a primary care provider, and 26% didn’t have insurance.

“Expanding screening for paternal PPD into routine primary care is necessary to reach more affected fathers,” the study authors wrote.

There are a slew of things that can weigh down your partner after you have a baby. He may feel stressed, he may be super-concerned about you and the baby, and he is probably sleep-deprived, too. This can lead to postpartum depression and anxiety… and anger.

Though many of us are focused on recovering and taking care of our new little ones, it’s likely that you’ve seen your non-birthing partner struggle as well. Not sure if your partner is dealing with PPD? Ask him how he’s really doing. It could be the conversation starter that helps you both make it through even stronger—together.