A reality TV star’s decision to open up about his experience as a new father sheds light on a lesser-known topic, paternal postpartum depression.
Leroy Garrett, a contestant on “The Challenge: All Stars,” shared in an episode that he struggled with mental health after the birth of his son Kingston Lee almost two years ago.
Garrett and his fiancée Kam Williams, also a contestant on the Paramount+ show, share 23-month-old Kingston Lee and a 9-week-old daughter named Aria.
“My son was one of the greatest blessings of my life, but when he came out, I was scared,” Garrett said on the show. “I’m not trying to be perfect, but when I’m dead and gone, I want to be able to say I did a great job with my child. All this weight was right on my shoulders. Am I going to be a good father? »
He continued: “I just wasn’t happy and I couldn’t describe why I felt that way.”
Garrett said that after opening up to Williams, he began seeking mental health counseling, which he said helped him “build tools” to cope.
In a later interview alongside Williams, Garrett opened up about postpartum depression, noting that it was a condition he “didn’t even know men could suffer from.”
Feelings of postpartum depression can be intense and long-lasting compared to the “baby blues,” which occur after the birth of a baby, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This condition is common among women, with about 1 in 8 women experiencing postpartum depression after giving birth, according to the CDC.
Although postpartum depression in fathers is less publicly known, it remains common: about 1 in 10 fathers suffer from it, according to research.
After Garrett, who did not respond to a request for comment, opened up about his own battle with postpartum depression, his fiancée said she was happy he was talking about his feelings.
“I am so happy that [Garrett] told me about it. Because usually with men, they always have to hide their feelings and you just have to, you know, be tough and strong,” she said on “The Challenge.” “And we definitely had that moment of vulnerability throughout our relationship, that I think. it makes us even stronger. »
What to know about postpartum depression in fathers
Dr. Sheehan Fisher, a perinatal clinical psychologist who focuses on fathers’ mental health, said a high-profile figure like Garrett speaking about his experience with postpartum depression can help normalize it for men, from the same way that postpartum depression has been normalized. when women spoke publicly.
“It is equally important for us now to understand that men are increasingly vulnerable to depression, anxiety and other types of mental illnesses during the perinatal period,” said Fisher, also an associate professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Feinberg University. School of Medicine, told “Good Morning America.”
Men are at the greatest risk of postpartum depression three to six months after the birth of their child, but it can start as soon as after conception, according to Fisher.
The term perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, or PMAD, which covers pregnancy and the postpartum period as well as a range of conditions including anxiety and depression, is also used to classify problems mental health issues that new moms and dads can endure.
According to Fisher, the reason some fathers experience postpartum depression is a mix of biological, environmental and genetic factors.
“Men, just like mothers, are going through a life transition that is all new to them, but it’s unique for fathers right now because they don’t really have a plan for how to be a father,” did he declare. “Today’s fathers are actually much more involved than their predecessors in raising the family and children, while performing similar levels of work outside the home. So they try to balance that adjustment with the stressors that come with it.”
Biologically, Fisher said research has shown that men’s testosterone levels change during the perinatal period, which can be associated with changes in mood.
And genetically, if a man has a genetic predisposition to depression or anxiety, this can be activated by the stressors of new parenthood, according to Fisher.
New dads, he noted, are often not screened for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the same way as new moms. Additionally, Fisher said men may have different symptoms of depression and anxiety that go undetected, meaning PMAD rates in men may be underestimated.
“One of the problems is that traditional measures of depression have a gender bias that doesn’t really include how men experience depression and respond to it behaviorally,” Fisher said. “You may have a father who won’t say, ‘I’ve been crying,’ or ‘I’ve been sad,’ but he might say, ‘I’ve been getting more irritable lately,’ or ‘I’ve been getting more irritable lately’ or ‘I’m sad’. I’m hypersexual.’”
Other symptoms of postpartum depression in men, according to Fisher, can include behavioral changes like isolation, feeling depressed or withdrawn, not finding pleasure in normal activities , aggression and difficulty functioning at work and at home.
Research has shown that a father’s mental health can affect not only him and his partner, but also the physical and mental health of their child.
Fisher said what men should remember most is that they are not alone.
“There is a whole community of fathers who are going through a similar experience,” he said.
If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises, please call or text 988. Trained crisis counselors are available free of charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week You can also go to 988lifeline.org or call the current toll-free number 800-273-8255. [TALK].
