Perinatal depression affects one in 10 dads
28 May 2010
Perinatal depression — depression that occurs during pregnancy (antenatal depression) or after the birth of your child (postnatal depression) — is now known to be a common and under-recognised problem among men, affecting twice as many dads as previously thought.
Some 10 per cent of fathers become depressed between the first trimester of their partner’s pregnancy and one year following the birth of their child, according to a new meta-analysis, believed to be the most comprehensive review of its kind (JAMA 2010; 303: 1961-69).
The lowest point for fathers was between 3 and 6 months after birth, when depression rates rose to 26 per cent.
The review also revealed an association between maternal and paternal depression, suggesting that “depression in one parent should prompt clinical attention to the other”.
Dr Nicole Highet, deputy CEO of beyondblue, said there was a need for greater awareness that having a baby was a high-risk time for both parents. However she noted that fathers were a challenging group to reach since they did not necessarily accompany their partners to antenatal clinic visits.
The meta-analysis (a statistical technique that summarises the results of other studies) comprised 43 studies (7 of them Australian) and the final analysis included data from 28,004 men.
Last Reviewed: 28 May 2010
- 1. Paulson JF, Bazemore SD. Prenatal and postpartum depression in fathers and its association with maternal depression. JAMA 2010; 303(19): 1961-1969. Abstract available at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/303/19/1961
