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Men can also experience postpartum depression

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
 
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22 April 2014, 09:00

Craig Garfield, an American pediatrician, found in his research that postpartum depression can be not only in women, but also in men. Young fathers are also predisposed to this type of disorder. At the same time, as studies have shown, the state of depression can worsen with the age of the child.

The research was conducted at Northwestern University and the results were published in a journal called Pediatrics. According to the research, the incidence of depression may increase in men as the child approaches the most important stage. Previous research in this area has shown that young men who are depressed after the birth of a child are more likely to physically punish their child and try to avoid close contact with him. Such children are more prone to various disorders, such as developmental delays, behavioral disorders, poor learning ability, etc.

In the research project, a group of scientists used data from more than 10,000 young men, 33% of whom became fathers between the ages of 24 and 32. Most of the men lived together with their children. At the same time, young men who lived separately from their children did not suffer from severe manifestations of depression after the birth of the baby. The manifestation of symptoms of depressive state in such men was higher during the woman's pregnancy and decreased with the birth of the child.

Depression in men who became fathers at about age 25 (plus or minus a couple of years) and lived with their children suffered less from depression during their wife's pregnancy and with the birth of the child, the symptoms of depression worsened. In such men, in the first five years of the child's life, an increase in depressive states of an average of 68% was observed.

The research project is the first to establish an increased risk of depression in young men who are preparing to become fathers. The results of the study will help to better understand the condition of young men and to conduct effective prevention and treatment of depression.

Depressive disorder of parents has an extremely negative effect on children, especially in the first years of life, when there is maximum interaction with parents. As scientists themselves note, parents should make every effort to help each other get through this difficult period easier and faster.

In another research project, scientists found that young people aged 18 to 33 are more susceptible to stress. According to experts, 50% of young people at this age suffer from stress, which leads to sleep disorders. At the same time, such disorders occur in 33% of people aged 45 to 60, and in 29% over 67. In other age categories, the level of stress was significantly lower.

Experts also managed to determine that at a young age, stressful situations most often occur related to a lack of money, instability at work or the inability to find a suitable job, etc. The same problems do not cause such strong experiences in older people, which, according to scientists, is due to sufficient life experience.

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