[Couvade syndrome, a psychogenic illness in the transition to fatherhood]

Abstract

More often than generally expected, men experience the transition to fatherhood as an emotional strain and become psychosomatically ill during their partner's pregnancy. This is known as the "couvade" syndrome. The psychogenic aetiology of these, for the most part unspecific somatic symptoms, mostly remains unknown to the treating doctors and the patients. On the other hand, psychiatric complications including psychotic illness can occur. In the following, the syndrome is described with an overview of the literature, and the aetiology is examined. In addition to the biographical causes, the ethnological-historical roots of the syndrome and possible therapeutic consequences are discussed.