Post-natal depression in men

Typically, if you heard the phrase “Post Natal Depression” you would probably assume that it was referring to mums of new babies but despite the fact that this difficult mental disorder occurs more frequently in women, it does also happen to men.

Approximately 10% of mothers suffer from postnatal depression whereas only about 1 in 26 men experience it after having a child. That is not to detract from how serious an illness postnatal depression can be. This can affect not only the mental wellbeing and life of the sufferer but also that person’s significant other and their child as well.

Dads getting postnatal depression is much more common than we probably all think in fact a recent study showed that over 20% of fathers have a depressive episode at some point after the birth of their child.

There are many things that can be done to treat and help both fathers and mothers with postnatal depression but the biggest problem is diagnosing it and making people who may fall victim to it feel as though they are not a taboo subject and that the things that they are experiencing happen to a lot of people and are best dealt with when spoken about freely and openly.

If you or someone you know is suffering from any form of depression then why not get in touch. We listen, we understand and we help. Give us a quick call on 01642 257020.