MANY people will be familiar with the struggles some new mothers have with postnatal depression after giving birth.

But calls have been made for more attention to be paid to fathers' mental health, with figures showing nearly 40 per cent of first-time dads suffer from anxiety.

Dr Hayley van Zwanenberg, a psychiatrist at the Oxford Priory Wellbeing Centre – a medical clinic – said: ""I think the big issue for men is to take their stress and low feelings seriously and be able to recognize it's really happening and they are not alone.

“Men, too, often feel anxious, empty and out of control as well as side-lined when it comes to emotional support after having children, as they worry about managing on a single income, pressures on their relationship, and all while having to cope with seriously disturbed sleep.”

Research by the the Priory Group, which runs the medical centre, found that about one in 10 men said they had negative thoughts after having children, and more than one in three (39 per cent) experienced some anxieties.

One in 15 men believed they were actually suffering from paternal postnatal depression (PPND), although only 2 per cent were officially diagnosed.

One in five men who experienced depression or anxieties did not seek help, saying they were too embarrassed and 'thought they should be happy'.

Nearly 70 per cent of men felt there was ‘still a stigma’ around postnatal depression, saying society might view those who suffered from it as 'inadequate parents'.

Nearly half of men and women said there was not enough support for new fathers experiencing difficulties adjusting to parenthood, and 80 per cent of men and women said fathers were 'forgotten' in discussions about postnatal depression.

According to researchers, PPND affects about one in 10 fathers, and its effects can be as devastating as that suffered by women.

Dr van Zwanenberg called for fuller recognition of the condition, and more campaigning to help show fathers that it is okay to admit they are not coping with the birth of a new child.

She said: “Parental depression can have a serious impact on children’s behaviour and development so it’s vital we improve our understanding of it, and widen access to help for it, in order to lessen the burden on the whole family.

"We must also support GPs with training to recognise those men who are most vulnerable, such as young fathers."

Signs of postnatal depression might include a persistent feeling of sadness and low mood, a lack of enjoyment and loss of interest in the wider world, feeling tired all the time and difficulty bonding with your baby.

The Priory Group runs the largest independent network of mental healthcare hospitals and clinics in the UK.