About a year ago, Caroline and I were invited to meet with a number of researchers at Northwestern University focused on various aspects of mental health during pregnancy and early parenting. The researchers were interested in learning more about doulas and the other services Ohana provides, so we gave a presentation and then spoke with them about some of their research as well. One of the researchers, Dr. Sheehan Fisher, was conducting a study about postpartum depression in fathers, which has just been released.
The study sheds new light on postpartum depression in fathers, which is estimated to occur in about one in ten dads. “Typically, in our culture, fathers haven’t been considered as integral in a child’s care,” Fisher said in a article published in the Huffington Post. “Now that there’s been a transition for fathers being more involved, I think that we’re just starting to see that we need to focus on both of the parents.” – Jocelyn Ohana Founder & Doula
From the article:
Fisher said that the study is important because men are not as likely to seek treatment for mental health in general. Plus, the discussion around paternal postpartum depression is fairly new, so doctors often overlook new fathers. Fisher said he hopes that these findings can help break down the stigma for a condition that other postpartum depression researchers consider to be “underscreened, underdiagnosed and undertreated.”
