Relationship insecurities may up depression in new dads

Men, take note. If you are a new father and insecured about the relationship with your partner, it may trigger depression, a new study suggests.

The findings indicate that male postnatal depression is more common in men who are insecure in their relationship with their partner. “Low self-confidence in close relationships seems to trigger parental stress, which in turn triggers the symptoms of depression,” said researcher Elia Psouni, Associate Professor, Lund University in Sweden.

According to the researchers, depression affects around 10-12 per cent of new mothers, and at least 8 per cent of new fathers. The study focused on reasons behind the fathers’ depressive symptoms.

For the study, published in the journal APA Psyc Net, the research team involved new 530 fathers.

The researchers said that 143 had symptoms of depression that would justify a referral for further assessment. Of these, 43 fathers described very debilitating symptoms and 22 described very serious symptoms. Affected men often have a negative view of themselves and are worried about being inadequate in their intimate relationships; a concern that may be based on childhood experiences with their own parents, the team said.

The study also revealed that men whose female partners suffered from postpartum depression were over-represented, and that very few of them were in contact with a professional to get help.