Paternal Postpartum Depression

It turns out that postpartum depression affects not only mothers but also newly-made fathers of newborns, says the journal Science.

After studying nearly 9000 families, scientists concluded that within twelve years after the birth of a child, one in every three mothers and one in every five fathers experience a depressive disorder. Specifically, in the first year of a baby’s life, about 14 percent of American mothers and about three and a half per cent of dads complain about depression.

It is curious that according to psychologists, the risk of depression is much higher for young parents under the age of 24 years – they are susceptible to this ailment almost twice more likely than older parents are. Scientists believe such a high incidence of depressive disorders is understandable in relation with the birth of a child.

They explain this phenomenon as a stress that arises under the emergence of new type of load and responsibilities, as well as sharp imbalances associated with significant reductions in sleep time and rest by the child’s parents.

Source of the image: Depressivedisorder.blogspot.