Many people believe that post-natal depression only affects women because of the hormonal changes a mother experiences after giving birth - that’s not entirely true. First-time fathers and men with a history of mental illness are vulnerable to the illness too.
June is Men’s Health Month and health fundis are advising that men take this time to make their health a priority, including post-natal depression.
A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 10% of men worldwide showed signs of depression from the first trimester of their wife’s pregnancy until six months after the child was born.
Another study, published in Pediatrics in 2014 , found that depression among new dads increased by 68% in the first five years of baby’s life.
“The fact is, one in four new dads in the US become depressed - that’s 3000 dads who become depressed each day,” says Will Courtenay, PhD, also known as “The Men’s Doc”.
* For help contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group on 0117831474.