The lived experiences of men whose partners have postpartum depression

Studies involving postpartum depression (PPD) lack in their focus on the experiences of men whose partners have been diagnosed with PPD. PPD possesses implications not only for mothers, but also for their children and the fathers. Current literature focuses on studying mothers and children, and often ignore the father. The current study utilized a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative inquiry to identify themes consistent with men’s’ experiences with having a partner with PPD. This study involved participants who 1) are 18 years or older, 2) identify as cisgender male, 3) in a current relationship with the mother of their biological child, 4) have a partner with a current, official PPD diagnosis, 5) live with their partner, and 6) are the biological father of their partner’s child. Participant selection included using purposive and snowball sampling from local obstetrics and gynecological, pediatrician, mental health services offices, and social media platforms. The findings of this study provided insight into the meaning of men’s experiences with having a partner that has PPD. This study yielded five major themes: 1) Getting Lost in the Shuffle, 2) My Own Worst Enemy, 3) Purgatory, 4) Light Within the Dark, and 5) Putting the “Partner” in Partnership. The current study helped pave the way for future research to analyze the mental health needs for men upon having a child and led the way to the offering of frequent mental health services to men. This dissertation discusses the findings of the study as well as provided insight into the implications for the counseling profession.