Expectant moms are prone to depression and stress as the big day looms closer and closer. Pregnancy is not exactly a holiday but new studies show that Dads to be tend to show similar symptoms of depression.
A New Zealand research study was conducted and it showed expectant fathers who suffer from stress and weak health, are more likely to get depression. On top of that, many fathers do not realize but they can suffer from pregnancy linked depression too.
Pregnancy is a hard time for every woman but it also affects those that are closest to her like her husband. A research team that is being led by Lisa Underwood who has an expertise in Cognitive Psychology stated:
"Increasing awareness is the first step to recognize and treat these symptoms that start early with fathers expecting children".
The research was conducted on over 3500 men, averagely aged 33. The first part of the research was to interview the men while their partner was weeks away from delivery. Then they were interviewed once more after the birth of their baby with 9 months.
Depression symptoms were heightened by 2.3% during pregnancy months and after nine months of having a baby the symptoms went up even more at 4.3%. Fathers with a history of stress and weak health showed higher symptoms of depression.
The findings of the team were pretty calculated and informed but psychiatric care experts state that the research is understudied. Dr. Tina Walch, a medical director, from South Oaks Hospital in NY says her part:
"Everyone knows about postpartum depression that happens to women but no one really pays much attention to what happens to the family on the whole during a mother's pregnancy period."
'Paternal depression' is easy to cure and improve greatly once you take the first step in embracing and understanding that it is a thing.
