[Disturbances in partners of women suffering from severe postpartum psychiatric disorders]

Postpartum psychiatric disorders in women have been discussed more often than postpartum psychiatric disorders in men. However, psychiatric disorders (especially depression) after birth are also experienced by men and may or may not be associated with a postpartum disorder of the mother. The aim of this study is to assess how distressed the partners of women with postpartum psychiatric disorders really are as well as associated factors and the degree of improvement of their emotional well-being after maternal treatment.

For this study, we assessed the psychological distress (SCL-90) in a group of partners of severely ill postpartum depressive and psychotic mothers (N=40), who were inpatients in a Mother-Baby Unit and participated in a longitudinal therapy study.

Depression was the only dimension where the partners scored significantly higher than the norm. Between 7.5% and 35% of partners scored above the cut-off point for clinical relevance in the studied dimensions, with the highest figures for hostility (22.5%), interpersonal sensitivity (25%) and depression (35%). Miscarriage, a low severity level of maternal disease and a high level of maternal symptoms were significant predictors for paternal depression. After treatment of the mothers, the levels of symptoms of the partners were reduced.

A postpartum psychiatric disorder of the mother is a risk not only for the baby but also for the father. High levels of awareness for the early detection and early treatment of this condition is essential.