4per cent of new dads have post natal depression

[longwayoff]

Says LBC quoting a Stanford University study. Expert currently pointing out that as pnd is female hormone related, its unlikely to be pnd. What does mumsnet think? Personally I have a cynical eyebrow raised.

I don’t think calling it pnd helps either side.

However, I also think that the issue does need to be indentifed and looked at because it is a problem.

Yep the issue is that dads need help. Personally if the symptoms are very similar/the same and the treatment is the same then I have no problem with the label. It is post baby being born that has caused depression.

Agree it shouldn't be called PND but can't get too worked up about it. Highlighting the issue is a good thing and I would really like to see more support for both parents.

I’m not bothered what it’s called, but new parent should be supported regardless of who is the male or female.

I think the issue is people are having mental health issues and our first response is to say "you can't have that, that's just for us". If the symptoms are similar and they come on after a new baby, why is it so offensive to call it by the same name.

A baby is a huge upheaval for parents but PND is a chemical reaction/mental illness caused by childbirth Isn't it? I am sure dads can get depressive illnesses too just not PND

I can believe that!

I think with pregnancy the lady gets to carry the baby, feel it move each and every time, feel every kick, and that does make you feel connected. Men obviously don’t get that and I think it could make it more difficult to connect with the baby.

I don’t really care what they call it, any new parent that is struggling just needs to be supported as I can only imagine how awful it must be to feel the way they do.

No it is not PND. This type of depression can hit any new mother regardless of past mental health issues. It is hormonal.
Men can be depressed due to circumstances and a baby is pretty stressful. This is not the same thing. By all means raise awareness of men’s mental health but saying men can have PND could have negative if not dangerous implications to women who suffer with this.

Having watched a friends husband struggle through it after the birth of their first child, I couldn’t care less what it’s called. Parents need supporting regardless of gender and for one group of people to claim it as “their” depression is not fair.

A huge issue for him WAS female friends of his DW saying “only women can have pnd, he’s being ridiculous, he’s belittling women’s feelings after birth” it was awful. Thankfully he saw an incredibly supportive (female) doctor who validated his feelings and got him the help he needs.

Men don't get post natal depression. The clue is in the name.
They may get reactive/situational depression following a life changing event such as a baby being born.

I suppose there is a difference between post partum and post natal depression but it seems like appropriation to claim men as having PND, and diminishes the seriousness of it, if it now becomes something both parents get because they are 'a bit overwhelmed with a baby'

It should be called something different if there is a different underlying source as, otherwise, its not helpful.

ihope has shown why calling it PND doesn’t work and could put a lot of men off seeking help for fear of other people’s reactions.

There’s a fantastic podcast where the comedian Stuart Goldsmith talks about this- i’ll try and find it.

It can be anxiety and depression but not post natal depression , it’s reactive depression perhaps but not in the sense that a woman’s body has gone through hormonal and physical changes .

Yes it also implies that it’s a wee bit hard having a baby so anyone can get it which is bollocks I changed almost overnight and ended up very ill and almost psychotic and thought I would die .

this is the one I think

It’s depression, not PND, I don’t think it’s helpful to appropriate female conditions.

Quibbling over the name is just being pedantic. You can’t sit there and say “oh that’s just for us because we’re female”. It’s hard enough as it is with the stigma attached to mental health issues without people trying to pick fights where there aren’t any.

The fact of the matter is, fathers can get depressed after their children are born too, so yes, I do think this figure is correct.

It doesn’t matter whether the new parent is male or female, if they are depressed after the birth they should get the help they need.

tenbob your point is interesting it is like couples saying "we are pregnant" as ifgrowing a baby is a shared experience it really isn't .

If only PND was as simple as having a baby replacing the person you were making you depressed .

Quibbling over the name is just being pedantic

Agreed. It's depression following the birth of a baby. The name seems appropriate to me.

DADS DONT GET PND. FFS is nothing sacred?
Dads get depressed after the change caused by a new baby.
Natal refers to the period a baby is incubated in its mothers womb. Pre natal, post natal are terms only related to females.
To call it pnd makes a mockery of the intense experiences of pregnancy and birth. Are perinatal mh teams now going to have to see men?
Men have mh probs. These can be down to their wife having a child. But for the love of god, it isnt pnd.
They need a different sort of help and different name.

It’s not pendantic at all it’s a different from regular depression entirely on the fact it’s hormone related and giving birth and the trauma the body goes through that causes the illness . I’ve had severe post natal depression and also had bouts of depression through my life and they were entirely different beasts .

We are pregnant is a fucking ridiculous saying. We dont give birth, women give birth.
I had postpartum psychosis. Not something men get.