'I needed to protect her against dark thoughts' Father of 5, on wife's postnatal depression

Christine Tan finds out why women experience this condition and what some husbands are doing to help them. Tragedies can happen on Dec 3, 2023, a woman and her three-week-old baby were found dead at the foot of the block where they lived. Despite having a supportive husband and family, the coroner said, the woman likely had undiagnosed postpartum depression.

- Christine Tan

After the birth of their fourth child, Mr Linus Koh noticed that his wife was unable to do simple household chores, and she often cried.

Mrs Anne Marie Koh, 37, would tell him: "I'm not good enough, I should just go and die."

Affected by postpartum depression, Mrs Koh was unhappy even when their newborn baby smiled.

As suicidal thoughts plagued her, Mr Koh, 39, knew they needed help.

The Ministry of Health told The Sunday Times that public healthcare institutions saw an average of 338 postpartum depression cases per year between 2015 and 2019.

This number has dropped to 248 cases a year between 2020 and 2024.

Among patients in the last five years, there was an average of fewer than one suicide per year.

On Dec 3, 2023, a 33-year-old woman and her three-week-old baby were found dead at the foot of the Housing Board block where they lived.

In February, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said in his findings that the woman likely had undiagnosed postpartum depression.

Her suicide shocked her husband and family, who the coroner said were supportive and loving.

As for Mr Koh, he realised the future of his family depended on his wife feeling happy again.

He said: "It (postnatal depression) could destroy my family. As a husband and father, I needed to provide my family with some sense of security against the dark thoughts she had."

The couple, who have been married for 11 years, run media company Saint Max Media, which helped the Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore record online masses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The couple discussed counselling and made childcare arrangements so that Mrs Koh could rest.

They are now happy parents of five children aged three, five, seven, nine and 11.

The Kohs spoke to ST in March to encourage others struggling with postpartum depression, which affects about one in 10 mothers in Singapore.

HUSBANDS STEPPING UP