Fatherhood as a Precipitant of Mental Illness
WILLIAM H. WAINWRIGHT M.D.1
1 Associate Professor of Psychiatry, New York Medical College, Metropolitan Hospital, 1901 First Avenue, New York, N. Y.
Psychopathological reactions to fatherhood probably occur with more frequency than is commonly recognized. Since the illness is usually attributed by the patient to other stresses, the importance of the recent birth of a child may be overlooked initially; a careful inquiry is necessary to establish the relationship. Ten case histories are cited to illustrate various dynamic factors operating to produce a pathological reaction to fatherhood.
