Postpartum depression in men: a narrative review

Abstract

Postpartum depression is consistently associated with women and, consequently, there is scarce information about this condition in men. Therefore, this project aimed to review all the literature, in the past ten years, about postpartum depression in men. The research was made in the PubMed database, for studies published from November one, 2009, through November one, 2019. Maternal postdelivery depression, low socioeconomic income, marital conflicts, and previous psychiatry disease were all factors associated with an increased risk of men's postnatal depression. Although it can manifest with the typical depressive symptoms as anhedonia and emotional lability, it can also manifest with atypical symptoms like episodes of rage, anxiety and engaging in addictive drugs. While there is not any screening method specifically developed to be used in men, studies verified that the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale could be a valid screening method of this condition. The gold standard for the diagnose is the clinical interview. As for the treatment, it seems that men preferred the individual psychotherapy instead of the couple psychotherapy and the pharmacotherapy with antidepressants, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. This condition was associated with an increased risk of maternal psychiatry disease and child's development disorders. Therefore, postpartum depression in men is a condition that should be considered a significant public health concern. Despite this fact, it's still under screened, underdiagnosed and undertreated worldwide. Thus, an implementation of broader awareness and development in the screening and treatment interventions should be made to better address father's mental health.