Postpartum psychiatric disorders in women have been more often discussed than postpartum psychiatric disorders in men. However, psychiatric disorders (especially depression) after birth are also experienced by men independently of a maternal disorder. Partners of women with postpartum disorders often exhibit physical or mental health problems. These problems could, in turn, affect the course of the mother's disease and could influence the recovery process.

In this study we examined the psychosomatic problems and symptoms of psychopathology (SCL-90) showed by the partners of a group of severely ill postpartum depressive and psychotic mothers, who were inpatients of the mother-baby unit at the department of psychiatry and psychotherapy in Wiesloch, Germany, and participated in a longitudinal therapy study. Results show a correlation between paternal well-being and the improvement of the maternal mental health. It could be concluded that a routine screening and treatment of the partners of women with postpartum psychiatric disorders may benefit not only the men but also their spouses.