Blog · Dad check
Men's mental health · ~3-minute checkAbout 1 in 10 new dads has depression — and as many have anxiety. Take the check clinicians use (PHQ-9 + GAD-7). Two minutes, private — answers never leave your device.
Postpartum mental health is talked about as a mum thing. But fathers go through it too: roughly 10% of new dads develop depression in the year after a baby, anxiety is at least as common, and the combined risk climbs toward 1 in 4 when their partner is also struggling (Paulson & Bazemore, JAMA, 2010). It's common, it's not a weakness, and it responds well to treatment — the hard part is naming it, because almost nobody tells dads what to look for.
Depression and anxiety travel together and often hide behind the same tiredness, so this check runs both screens doctors use: the PHQ-9 for low mood and loss of interest, and the GAD-7 for worry and tension. Sixteen short questions in total — enough to give you a real, two-sided read rather than a one-line guess.
Every new parent is exhausted, stretched, and occasionally low or on edge. That isn't a disorder. The difference is persistence and pervasiveness: ordinary stress lifts when you finally get a stretch of sleep or a good evening; depression and anxiety don't. The line professionals use is symptoms present most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. Both questionnaires ask about exactly that window, which is why they're better at telling the difference than your own gut at 3 a.m.
A lot of dads sail past their own depression or anxiety because it doesn't show up as crying or obvious worry. In men it more often wears a different face (NIMH, Men and Depression):
If that list reads like a description of you lately, it's worth taking the check seriously — not to label yourself, but to know which door to walk through next.
If the check points toward depression or anxiety, the move is a real human: a GP, a therapist, or a helpline. An app can't treat a mental-health condition, and Regular is not a substitute for care. If it doesn't — and a lot of what weighs on new dads is disconnection rather than a disorder — then closing the distance with your partner is the work, and that's where Regular can help: calmly, one small move at a time, with no pressure on you or on her.
No. The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are validated screening tools doctors use — they flag whether symptoms look like depression or anxiety, but only a qualified professional can diagnose. A score of 10+ on either is the standard signal to get assessed.
Yes — about 1 in 10 fathers get depression in the first year, anxiety is at least as common, and both rise sharply if their partner is affected too (Paulson & Bazemore, JAMA). Common and very treatable.
Exhaustion lifts with rest; depression and anxiety are the low mood, numbness, or constant worry that hang on most of the day, nearly every day, for two weeks or more. The check measures that pattern.
Men more often show it as irritability, withdrawal, overwork, drinking, or physical aches rather than visible sadness or worry (NIMH) — which is exactly why it gets missed.
Completely. Everything is scored in your browser. Your answers are never sent anywhere, never stored, and never seen by us.
This self-check uses the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, validated screening questionnaires that are free to use. It is a screen, not a diagnosis, and not medical advice or a substitute for professional care. If symptoms persist or you're worried, talk to a qualified professional.