Fathers too should be screened for postpartum blues

Screening fathers for postpartum depression is as important as screening mothers, researchers argue, and current guidelines don't go far enough in urging doctors to identify new fathers who may be suffering. A perspectives piece in the journal Pediatrics points out that recent guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommend that pediatricians use well-child visits to screen mothers for postpartum depression, yet they hardly mention fathers.

The guidance from these two respected organizations risks "being out of touch with contemporary American families," the authors write, in light of all the evidence emerging in recent decades showing the importance of fathers' mental health to the wellbeing of their children.

"Depression among new dads is a problem that too often gets overlooked," lead author Tova Walsh, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Reuters Health.

"Although many new dads experience depressive symptoms, few know how to identify the signs or talk about their struggles." Depression symptoms in fathers in the first year after the birth of a child are considered paternal postpartum depression, Walsh and colleagues write. Past studies have estimated that anywhere from 2% to 25% of fathers are affected.

But no clear diagnostic criteria specific to fathers exist, they note. "Depression often looks different in fathers than in mothers," Walsh said. "In addition to the familiar symptoms of depression such as persistent sadness, loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities and trouble eating and sleeping, men may mask their symptoms by throwing themselves into work or by drinking more."

Fathers with postpartum depression are also less likely than mothers to ask for help, and a lack of awareness about paternal depression could be making it more difficult for them to tackle the problem. "It is time for the focus on perinatal depression within pediatrics to include fathers too," Walsh said.