One-in-10 dads suffer post-natal depression

We traditionally associate post-natal depression with women who have given birth but a new study has found it also affects just over one in 10 dads.

The risk is increased for fathers who are struggling financially and who don’t rely on their partner for support; while better-off dads who do rely on their partners appear less susceptible.

The study, ‘Paternal Post-natal Depression (PPND): Prevalence and Associated Factors’, carried out by public health nurse Lloyd Philpott, involved a survey of 100 fathers ranging in age from 24-50 in the south of Ireland.