If Mothers Get Postpartum Psychosis, What Do Fathers Get? The Strange Case of The Daddy Blues
My story
Although my husband went undiagnosed, he did become a perfectionist about all things related to our newborn. He developed complex systems for diaper changing, bottle warming, formula stirring, and more. For example, while changing diapers, he would wear rubber gloves and use only certain fingertips to uniquely apply various ointments. And he grew very rigid about his procedures. Although it is debatable whether this condition happened after the baby’s birth, I believe he may have experienced postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Fathers postpartum
Not surprisingly, some fathers develop postpartum symptoms similar to their female counterparts.
For example, Daddy Blues occurs in 4-6% of fathers after their wives give birth, according to one study in 2012. An April 15, 2015 article in U.S. News cites a slightly higher percentage--5-10%--of new fathers with baby blues compared to 15% of new mothers.
For fathers, postpartum depression is tangled up in overwhelm and performance anxiety. They worry about their ability to provide for their families as well as in their new roles as dads.
Postpartum psychosis in dads
More surprisingly, however, there has been at least one documented case of postpartum psychosis in a father. This case involved a 28-year-old dad who became psychotic five days after the birth of his male child.
This particular father had delusions that newspapers were communicating negative religious messages from bad spirits intending to hurt his child. He believed only he possessed the special God-given powers to protect his baby, so he remained awake for 48 hours, pacing his home to be sure the house was locked.
Psychological stress is believed to have played a critical role in triggering this psychosis in this father with no previous history of mental illness whatsoever.
Men with psychological stressors who are at-risk
Some potential psychosocial stressors that could lead to postpartum psychosis in men include:
fathers who compete with their infants for the attention of their wives;
fathers who lack good male role models from their childhoods on which to model their own fatherhood;
new fathers who experience parenthood as an imposition upon their individual freedom; and
insecure fathers who view themselves as protectors and sole providers responsible for their families. They may feel threatened by outside support their wives receive postpartum, viewing it as a reflection of their inability to provide adequate family support to their wives.
The Takeaway
Even a disorder as rare as postpartum psychosis occurs in both mothers and fathers.
While both genders may suffer from similar postpartum problems, they may each experience their problems somewhat differently and for different reasons.
Under extreme pressure, anyone--mothers and fathers alike--can potentially become psychotic, whether he or she has a predisposition or not.
In this case, the father with postpartum psychosis reminds us how psychological stressors play just as significant a role in who develops postpartum psychosis as do hormonal changes.
We need to be more compassionate and aware of personal or family histories of mental illness to really understand what families need. Together let’s increase awareness of how postpartum psychosis impacts us all.
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Main Source:
Shahani L. A father with postpartum psychosis. BMJCase Reports 2012;2012:bcr1120115176.