Support for a partner with postpartum depression

merehan
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Support for a partner with postpartum depression

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What is depression husband after childbirth?
Postpartum depression occurs at a lower rate in men, but it is present. According to studies, about 2-10% of couples suffer from it (the incidence of depression in women is 10-20%). The husband enters into a state of mood swings and psychological exhaustion as a result of the sudden changes that occurred. After the birth of the new child, he may feel that he is not ready psychologically and physically for this size of responsibility, so he has a sense of guilt towards his new child, and his desire to be a better father, and all these thoughts rush around, causing depression.

Symptoms may differ for women
The symptoms of the husband’s depression after childbirth may be slightly different from the wives’, as his personality becomes different from before, he gets angry a lot, feels exhausted most of the time, cannot focus well, does not express much desire or joy for the arrival of the new baby, and feels guilty and short-lived towards his family.

He may also show the classic symptoms of postpartum depression, which are:
Sadness most of the time.
Lack of interest in previously preferred activities and hobbies.
difficulty sleeping
Poor energy and tired most of the time.
Spending a long time at work with difficulty concentrating on the tasks required of him.
self-isolation.
Physical symptoms: headache, muscle pain, abdominal pain without justification.
Thinking of harming or committing suicide.

What's the reason?
The cause of postpartum depression in some couples is not fully known, but mental health professionals link the risk of developing it with the presence of some factors, which are:

Hormonal changes. Studies have found that husbands also experience hormonal disorders during and after the wife’s pregnancy, especially testosterone, cortisol, and prolactin, and these changes may play a role in depression.
The wife suffers from depression after childbirth, as a high percentage of husbands also suffer from depression if the wife suffers from it, because the pressures that both of them go through affect their mental health.
Family history of depression or mental disorders.
Suffering from financial hardship.
Having problems with the wife or lack of interest in him.
Sleep deprivation as a result of child care.
Age is less than 25 years.

A 2019 study found that depression usually begins in the husband during the first 3 months of the wife's pregnancy, and increases in severity when the newborn reaches the age of 3-6 months.

What is the treatment of postpartum depression husband?
Psychotherapy or talking therapy is the main treatment for the husband’s postpartum depression, in which the husband expresses what he feels to the specialist, and together they try to find solutions to overcome the state of depression he is going through, and an improvement may be noticed after only weeks of sessions, and also the wife may be part of the treatment while It is known as (couples therapy), where each spouse discusses what they are going through during the postpartum period with the doctor.

Support for a partner with postpartum depression
The wife can support her husband during the period he is going through through the following:

Talk to him and encourage him to open up about his feelings to her so that he can feel better.
Sharing interest in the new child with him to strengthen his paternity bonds, for example, encouraging him to participate in bathing or feeding the child.
Taking turns taking care of the baby at night, so that both husband and wife get enough sleep and rest.
Make time to spend time with him and talk about his day.
Encourage him to commit to visiting a psychiatrist, as depression is a dangerous condition if neglected and left untreated.

TRANSLATED FROM:
عرب ميديكو
الضيق بدون سبب
ما هو القلق الاجتماعي

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