Help for Partners & Families

• Learn more about the Signs and Symptoms of Perinatal Mental Health Disorders
• Ask for help, information, and support for yourself.

PSI is here to help.

• Contact our Helpline.
• Call our “Dads Chat with an Expert” on the first Tuesday of every month for a free, facilitated phone call with one of our experts in Perinatal mental health and family support.
• Specialized Support: PSI has local volunteers who understand the challenges of perinatal mental health conditions and know local resources that may be helpful for you. These volunteers can provide you the opportunity to connect with someone who understands, can answer basic questions about Perinatal Mental Health and can provide information about how to best support a loved one or friend who is going through this challenging experience. Contact a Support Coordinator.

• Develop a support team for your family. Ask for help. Say YES when they offer.
• Take time for yourself.
• Talk to other families who have come through this.
• Spend time with your baby to develop your own confidence.

• Reassure them: this is not their fault; they are not alone; they will get better.
• Encourage them to talk about their feelings and listen without judgment.
• Help with housework before they ask you.
• Encourage them to take time for self-care.  Breaks are a necessity; fatigue is a major contributing factor to worsening symptoms.
• Don’t expect them to complete all household tasks just because they are home all day.
• Be realistic about what time you’ll be home, and come home on time.
• Help them reach out to others for support and treatment.
• Schedule some dates with them and work together to find a babysitter.
• Offer simple affection and physical comfort, but be patient if they are not up for sex. It’s normal for them to have a low sex drive with depression, and rest and recovery will help to bring it back.

• Do what you can to make sure they eat regularly throughout the day, because low blood sugar results in a low mood and frustration. Have healthy and easy snacks on hand.
• Do your best to listen for the real request at the heart of their frustration. Reduce conflict by telling them, “I know we can work this out. I am listening.”
• Keep the lines of communication open. Verbalize your feelings instead of distancing from them. It is helpful to take a break if your tempers are hot, but do get back to communicating.
• If they are expressing anger in such a way that you can’t stay supportive, you might say something like, “I want to listen to you. I know this is important, but I’m having a hard time because you’re so mad at me. Can we take a break and talk about it later?”
• Ask them how you can help right now. If they don’t know, make some suggestions.