Tips for preventing paternal postnatal depression

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Transcription:

The best way to prevent postpartum depression in fathers is to try to address any causes before they occur. Number one is to make sure you are getting enough sleep and have good sleep habits. Eliminating caffeine is probably the most important thing to do. If you have a history of depression, it's important to prevent the depression and see a mental health provider before your child is born. If you have anxiety about becoming a father, get to a parenting class or a new dad's class. A lot of medical providers offer those these days. You can learn the skills that you need to have to reduce that stress. If you have a rocky relationship with a partner, it's important that you get to see a couples counselor before your child is born. Similarly, if you have economic concerns, it's good to look at those head on. Look at your finances and come up with a budget a head of time. That can do a lot to reduce your stress. If you have small social support or have a small network around you, it's really important to reduce depression. It is important to build up that social network, before the baby is born.

Video Categories: ALL PARENTS, Parenting, Parental Stress and Anger, PREGNANCY, Self-Care for Parents, Postpartum Depression

Psychotherapist Will Courtenay, PhD, shares advice for men on the best ways to prevent paternal postnatal depression, as well as how to best treat postnatal depression in men

Transcript

Expert Bio

Will Courtenay, PhD

Psychotherapist

Dr. Will Courtenay, “The Men’s Doc,” is an internationally recognized expert in helping boys, men and fathers, and a psychotherapist, consultant, distinguished author, researcher, keynote speaker, radio host, and consultant to and speaker at schools and universities. His new book is titled Dying To Be Men. The American Psychological Association calls him, “a leading psychologist in the field of masculinity” and Who’s Who in America calls him a “foremost achiever in his field.” As one of the world’s leading innovators in the health of boys and men, he has a documented history of success in shaping and promoting this new field, as well as new perspectives on fatherhood, boyhood, and masculinity. Dr. Courtenay received his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley and has served on the clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Francisco, Medical School. He is the Founding Editor of the International Journal of Men's Health. Dr. Courtenay is a powerful, effective voice about boys and men, heard nationally on radio and television – including CNN, Good Morning America, World News, Fox News, ABC News, NBC News – and seen in print – including NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, NPR, Newsweek, USA Today, and Chicago Tribune. Dr. Courtenay is a contributor to Esquire Magazine.