A Case Report: Peripartum Onset of Major Depressive Disorder for Father

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-310-8_11How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Major depressive disorder; Peripartum onset; Father

Abstract

Background

Depression symptoms in parents during the pregnancy-to-postpartum period significantly impact their child’s cognitive, social, and behavioural development.¹ Major depression with peripartum onset refers to depression occurring during the antepartum and postpartum period, up to 4 weeks after delivery. Interestingly, paternal depression often requires a more extended recovery than the maternal aspect. Prenatal and postpartum depression in a father can result in suffering, impaired functioning, and reduced quality of life.

Case Report

This report focused on a 22-year-old married male who had recently become a father to a newborn. The patient had experienced symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, persistent fatigue, feelings of loneliness, guilt, worthlessness, and depression. This individual tended to isolate himself, withdraw from his surroundings, have a reduced appetite, and lose interest in previously enjoyed activities. He initially experienced these symptoms during his wife’s first pregnancy when the child was three months old, but he ignored them. However, these symptoms consistently resurfaced over the past four months following the birth of their first child. The patient had no history of psychiatric issues and abstained from illegal drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes.

Conclusion

Major depression with peripartum onset in a father is a significant mental health condition that can occur during the period surrounding childbirth. It is distinguished by chronic sorrow, decreased interest during activities, disturbances in eating and sleeping habits, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt. Timely intervention and treatment are essential for the recovery of a father and to minimize any negative impact on the family’s well-being.

Copyright

© 2023 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Ella Yunita Daulay
AU  - M. Surya Husada
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/12/18
TI  - A Case Report: Peripartum Onset of Major Depressive Disorder for Father
BT  - Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of Neuroscience, Neurology and Psychiatry Universitas Sumatera Utara (ICONAP 2023)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 82
EP  - 87
SN  - 2468-5739
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-310-8_11
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-310-8_11
ID  - Daulay2023
ER  -