How common is depression among new dads?
James Paulson of the Eastern Virginia Medical School analyzed data from 43 previous studies (which had collectively examined 28,004 men), and concluded that about 10.4 percent suffered from depression between the first trimester of their wives’ pregnancy and their babies’ first birthdays. That’s a little more than double the rate of depression among men, generally. What’s the theory? A number of factors seem to come into play, including hormone changes (estrogen drops in women, and testerone drops in men when there’s a new baby). But there are plenty of other possible culprits — loss of sleep, added responsibilities, and new economic stresses for starters, says Irene Levine, a psychiatry professor at New York University School of Medicine. In some cases, the moods of a new father can darken after his wife gets depressed. “Given the closeness of the marital relationship,” Levine says, “it’s not surprising for a dad to get post-baby blues.” When is the problem at its worst? It peaks when
