Newham Talking Therapies, East London NHS Foundation Trust, Stratford, UK.
Am J Mens Health. 2023 Mar-Apr;17(2):15579883231159955. doi: 10.1177/15579883231159955.
Perinatal depression is prevalent in primary care in the United Kingdom. The recent NHS agenda implemented specialist perinatal mental health services to improve women's access to evidence-based care. Although there is ample research on maternal perinatal depression, paternal perinatal depression remains overlooked. Fatherhood can have a positive long-term protective impact on men's health. However, a proportion of fathers also experience perinatal depression which often correlates with maternal depression. Research reports that paternal perinatal depression is a highly prevalent public health concern. As there are no current specific guidelines for screening for paternal perinatal depression, it is often unrecognized, misdiagnosed, or untreated in primary care. This is concerning as research reports a positive correlation between paternal perinatal depression with maternal perinatal depression and overall family well-being. This study illustrates the successful recognition and treatment of a paternal perinatal depression case in a primary care service. The client was a 22-year-old White male living with a partner who was 6 months pregnant. He attended primary care with symptoms consistent with paternal perinatal depression as indicated by his interview and specified clinical measures. The client attended 12 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy, conducted weekly over a period of 4 months. At the end of treatment, he no longer portrayed symptoms of depression. This was maintained at 3-month follow-up. This study highlights the importance of screening for paternal perinatal depression in primary care. It could benefit clinicians and researchers who may wish to better recognize and treat this clinical presentation.
围产期抑郁症在英国初级保健中很常见。最近实施的国民保健制度议程专门提供围产期心理健康服务，以改善妇女获得循证护理的机会。尽管有大量关于产妇围产期抑郁症的研究，但父亲的围产期抑郁症仍然被忽视。父亲身份可以对男性健康产生积极的长期保护影响。然而，一部分父亲也会经历围产期抑郁症，这通常与产妇抑郁症相关。研究报告称，父亲的围产期抑郁症是一个高度普遍的公共卫生问题。由于目前没有针对父亲围产期抑郁症筛查的具体指南，因此在初级保健中常常未被识别、误诊或未得到治疗。这令人担忧，因为研究报告称父亲的围产期抑郁症与产妇的围产期抑郁症和整个家庭的幸福感之间存在正相关。本研究说明了在初级保健服务中成功识别和治疗父亲围产期抑郁症病例的情况。该客户是一名 22 岁的白人男性，与一名怀孕 6 个月的伴侣同住。他因与父亲围产期抑郁症一致的症状就诊于初级保健，这些症状是通过他的访谈和特定的临床措施确定的。客户参加了 12 次认知行为疗法，每周一次，持续 4 个月。治疗结束时，他不再表现出抑郁症状。在 3 个月的随访中仍然保持这种状态。本研究强调了在初级保健中筛查父亲围产期抑郁症的重要性。它可能对临床医生和研究人员有益，他们可能希望更好地识别和治疗这种临床表现。
