Postnatal Depression in Fathers Has Adverse Effects on Their Children’s Mental Health

Paternal depressive symptoms increase the vulnerability of their children to psychiatric disorders.

Many studies have established a link between postpartum depression in women and adverse effects on maternal health and subsequent child development. Does depression in fathers during the postnatal period have similar effects on a child’s mental health? In a population-based cohort study from England, researchers followed 10,975 fathers and their children for 7 years. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess paternal depressive symptoms at several time points, and a standardized instrument was used to assess psychiatric disorders in the children at age 7 years.

Eight weeks after children were born, 3% of the fathers had depressive-symptom scores considered significant on the EPDS. Children were significantly more lik…

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics