Ignored sufferers: a phenomenological inquiry into the lived experiences of postpartum depression among men

ABSTRACT

Objective

Postpartum depression is common among new parents. Whilst there is a sizeable evidence base on mothers’ experience of the condition, much less is known about how it affects new fathers. The aim of this qualitative study was to address this gap in the literature by exploring the lived experiences of men with postpartum depression.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 men diagnosed with postpartum depression recruited through purposive sampling from hospitals in two Indian cities. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method.

Results

Analysis revealed four themes: men's silence in relationships, which reflected fear of conflict and marital discord; economic burden due to their financial responsibility for a new child; sleep deprivation due to caring for the newborn; and enmeshment, which reflected interference from parents and parents-in-law.

Discussion

Postpartum depression has a significant impact on the mental health of fathers. Insights from this study can help clinicians and counsellors better understand the condition and support affected men. Policy-level changes such as paternal leave for fathers are also needed. There remains a lack of research into sociocultural factors associated with postpartum depression.

KEYWORDS:

• Postpartum depression
• men
• silence in relationship
• enmeshment
• sleep deprivation
• economic burden

Acknowledgment

The author acknowledges the following people for supporting this study.Participants for sharing their views and experiences.Dr. Tilak Singh for his support in recruiting participants for data collection.Dr. Priyanka Bharti for her support in the data analysis process. She holds a master's degree in psychology and a Ph. D degree in Design.Ms. Anushka Rathee for her help in the data analysis process. She holds a master's degree in psychology and has significant experience working with people experiencing mental health problems.

Data availability

Data will be provided upon request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author reported no funding associated with the work featured in this article.