A recent study reveals that psychological difficulties experienced by fathers before and after childbirth—such as depression, anxiety, and stress—can negatively affect their children’s social-emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and physical development.
The research, led by Professor Delis Hutchinson from Deakin University in Australia, was published on June 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Pediatrics). The team conducted a meta-analysis of 48 cohort studies that examined the link between fathers’ mental health around childbirth and their children’s development.
The researchers highlighted that supporting and diagnosing fathers’ mental health during this period could serve as a preventive intervention to improve children’s health and welfare. They emphasized that fathers often face significant psychological burdens before and after childbirth, with reported prevalence rates of anxiety at 11%, depression at 8%, and stress increases between 6% and 9%.
While most previous studies have focused on mothers, this research draws attention to the risks posed by paternal psychological difficulties on child development. The analysis included studies from multiple research databases, such as MEDLINE Complete, Embase, PsychINFO, and CINAHL Complete, covering publications up to November last year.
The findings show that fathers’ mental health struggles are linked to declines in children’s social-emotional skills, cognitive ability, language development, and overall growth. These effects were observed not only in infancy but continued into childhood.
Specifically, the study found a notable decline in children’s overall development (correlation coefficient r = -0.12) and language skills (r = -0.15). Cognitive development was also affected, though to a lesser degree (r = -0.07). The researchers noted no statistically significant link between fathers’ psychological difficulties and children’s motor skills. Interestingly, there was a slight positive effect on children’s social-emotional development (r = 0.09).
The team suggested that psychological challenges experienced by fathers after childbirth may have a stronger impact on child development than those experienced before birth. This indicates the father’s mental health postpartum could directly influence the child’s growth.
Professor Hutchinson emphasized the importance of addressing fathers’ mental health before and after childbirth. “Helping fathers overcome psychological difficulties during this time should be a key goal of preventive care,” the team said, adding that such support can promote better health and well-being for both fathers and their children as they navigate parenthood.
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