I would bet all the money in the world that he had postpartum anxiety, and nobody told him that he was at risk for developing it. Nobody ever expressed to him that fathers get it, too. Nobody ever even did a screening on him.

This quote comes from a woman who courageously shared her postpartum journey as part of our ongoing study on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), conducted in collaboration with our nonprofit research organization, Nested, and our research team at New York University. With the consent of all caregivers quoted in this piece, we bring you their powerful narratives. A striking theme emerging from her interview, echoed by many others, is the significant impact of PMADs on fathers.

You, too, can contribute to a deeper understanding of PMADs and help shape better support systems for families. If you or your partner has experienced PMADs, we invite you to join our research and share your story by taking this quick survey.

PMADs are a group of mental health conditions that can affect individuals during pregnancy and the first year postpartum.

One of the biggest misconceptions around perinatal mental health is that struggles only show up as depression or anxiety. The conversation is shifting toward PMADs to include a wider scope of possible symptoms, from intrusive, repetitive thoughts about the baby to compulsive behaviors, to hypervigilance about the baby’s safety, to flashbacks or nightmares of a traumatic event related to childbirth.

Focusing on PMADs rather than just on postpartum depression or anxiety recognizes that symptoms can show up in different ways for different people. The word “perinatal” instead of “postpartum” also underscores how the timing of symptoms may not be limited to after the arrival of a baby.

While PMADs have traditionally been associated with birthing parents, research increasingly reveals that fathers and nonbirthing parents are also vulnerable to these disorders. The prevalence of PMADs among fathers and nonbirthing parents has historically been underestimated and understudied. However, recent research has shed light on the significant impact of these disorders on this population. With approximately 10 percent of fathers experiencing postpartum depression and up to 18 percent of fathers developing anxiety disorders postpartum, it’s crucial to recognize and address PMADs in fathers and nonbirthing parents. Very little is known about other PMADs among fathers beyond anxiety and depression—a gap that we are pushing to address.

Our research is digging even deeper. Among fathers who experience........

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