Paternal Depression - Likelihood and Effect on Parenting Behaviour

Post-natal depression has, for a long time, been associated with mothers. It may be a surprise therefore to discover that fathers too can suffer from post-natal depression. In fact Musser, Ahmed, Foli and Coddington (2013) argue that "Paternal postpartum depression (PPD) is a clinically significant problem for families that is currently underscreened, underdiagnosed, and undertreated". The cause of PPD still remains a focus on psychological research. Roubinov, Leucken, Crnic and Gonzales (2014) state that paternal depression may be caused by factors such as unemployment status, fewer biological children and poor marital relationship quality at 15 weeks. Musser et al (2013) state that the negative effects of PPD influence relationships, infant bonding, and child development. Research has begun to explore these issues in greater detail.

Ramchandani, Stein, Evans and O'Connor (2005) have found that paternal depression can have a signiciant impact on child behaviour. Ramchandani et al (2005) conducted a large population study, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, assessing responses of 8431 fathers. They found an association between paternal postnatal depression and behavioural issues of children at 3.5 years. Wilson and Durbin (2010) explain that this may occur specifically because of negative parenting style, caused by depression, on child temperament. They conducted a meta-analytic review of around 28 published and unpublished studies and found that depressed fathers tended to display greater negative parenting behaviour.

William Courtney PhD, in an interview with Kathy Morelli at Science and Sensibility, suggests the following to help prevent PPD:

•  Attending hospital-sponsored parenting classes, particularly if the father-to-be is anxious about becoming a dad.
•  Devising strategies for shared childcare responsibilities. The father, for example, may handle a nighttime feeding by using formula or pumped breast milk.
•  Hiring domestic help if it’s affordable or asking a family member to baby-sit once a week.
• Understanding that sex lives change with the birth and may not return to normal for a year or more.
• Joining a support group for new fathers or reading about depression on websites such as SadDaddy.com, which includes a screening test for men.

 References:

Musser AK, Ahmed AH, Foli KJ, & Coddington JA (2013). Paternal postpartum depression: what health care providers should know. Journal of pediatric health care : official publication of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates & Practitioners, 27 (6), 479-85 PMID: 23182851


Roubinov DS, Luecken LJ, Crnic KA, & Gonzales NA (2014). Postnatal depression in Mexican American fathers: demographic, cultural, and familial predictors. Journal of affective disorders, 152-154, 360-8 PMID: 24148791



Ramchandani P, Stein A, Evans J, O'Connor TG, & ALSPAC study team (2005). Paternal depression in the postnatal period and child development: a prospective population study. Lancet, 365 (9478), 2201-5 PMID: 15978928