Postpartum depression: Dads can get it, too
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Dads who throw themselves into fatherhood may also be at risk for depression, according to clinical psychologist and "Dad Brain" author Darby Saxbe.
Why it matters: That doesn't mean dads should stand down. Shared caregiving brings major benefits for kids and parents. But it does mean both parents need support.
What they're saying: The more dads take on, the more they're "kind of shouldering those same risks" mothers have long faced in early parenthood, Saxbe tells Axios.
- Caregiving can be isolating and draining — a "double-edged sword," she says, where the involvement that deepens the bond also carries a cost.
State of play: About 1 in 10 dads experience anxiety or depression in their child's first year — but stigma still surrounds it, in part because openly discussing maternal postpartum depression is itself fairly new and still fraught.
Zoom in: Kevin Maguire, author of "The New Fatherhood," recently opened up in his book and on clinical psychologist Becky Kennedy's "Good Inside" podcast about having paternal postpartum depression. He talked about crying and wondering whether he loved his son.
- Comments ranged from supportive ("I really appreciate hearing this message") to dismissive ("you didn't even birth the human").
What's happening: Although men don't immediately experience the kind of drastic physical and mental changes mothers tend to, their brains can change in early parenthood and they share some risk factors for depression: disrupted sleep, identity reckoning and a strained partnership.
The intrigue: Saxbe's research finds that couples' cortisol levels often move in tandem, and so do their moods. When one parent is depressed, the other's risk climbs.
- "If we care about Mom's mental health, we actually need to care about Dad's, too," Saxbe says.
The bottom line: The risks are real — but so is the payoff.
- Hands-on fathers tend to find lasting meaning in their role, and their involvement is linked to not only happier kids but also younger-looking brains later in life.
Go deeper: See Maguire's mental health self-check for new dads.
