December 2, 2024

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Men who have ever used antidepressants are more likely to need repeat medication in the first year of childbearing

Men who have ever used antidepressants are more likely to need repeat medication in the first year of childbearing



 

Men who have ever used antidepressants are more likely to need repeat medication in the first year of childbearing. 

A new study finds that men who used to take antidepressants were significantly more likely to need to take antidepressants again in the first year after giving birth.

Depression affects many people around the world. Postpartum depression is a well-known condition that affects women, but what does having a baby do to a new dad’s mental health?

A new study by researchers at University College London seeks to answer that question. To their knowledge, this is the first study of antidepressant treatment in new dads and childless men.

 

Men who have ever used antidepressants are more likely to need repeat medication in the first year of childbearing

 

“After a baby is born, people often focus on the health of the mother and the baby,” said lead author Holly Smith. “However, we need to ensure that new dads also get the care they need by increasing research on new dads and how to communicate with them about their mental health.”

 

Using the UK primary care database IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD), the researchers identified 90,736 men aged 15 to 55 years with a birth record in the previous year and 453,632 men who had not given birth (comparison cohort).

 

They followed the men for 12 months and were considered antidepressant treated if they had taken antidepressants during that time.

Antidepressants include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic and related antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and atypical antidepressants such as mirtazapine.

 

Antidepressant treatment history was divided into recent treatment history (one year before delivery), previous treatment history (two years before delivery), and no treatment history. A person was classified as having received only recent treatment if they had received both previous and recent treatment.

 

While the researchers found no difference in antidepressant treatment between the two groups, they found that new dads who had a history of antidepressant treatment were more than 30 times more likely to need treatment again.

 

“Our findings suggest that the relationship between depression and paternity is complex, with previous antidepressant treatment a key factor in the decision to use antidepressants in the first year after childbirth,” Smith said. The child continued treatment before, or these men may be more likely to experience depressive mood again, which may be exacerbated by the challenges of having a new child.”

 

In addition to previous antidepressant use, researchers also found that social deprivation was a key factor in prescribing antidepressants for new dads.

They use the Townsend deprivation index to measure social poverty. The Townsend Poverty Index is a measure of material poverty that includes four variables: unemployment, lack of a car, lack of home and overcrowded households.

 

They found that new dads living in the most deprived areas had an 18 percent increased risk of receiving an antidepressant prescription compared with fathers living in the most deprived areas.

 

A limitation of their study, the researchers note, is that they only focused on men who were prescribed antidepressants without examining them for depressive symptoms or a diagnosis.

Still, they say their findings suggest that men with a history of antidepressant treatment should have a mental health checkup during the first year of childbearing.

The research was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

 

 

Men who have ever used antidepressants are more likely to need repeat medication in the first year of childbearing

(source:internet, reference only)


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