Prevalence of paternal depression in pregnancy and the postpartum: An updated meta-analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
PubMed 27475890 · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.07.044
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published from January 1980 to November 2015 reporting paternal depression between the first trimester of pregnancy and one year postpartum. Data were extracted independently by two authors from 74 studies covering 41,480 participants. Moderator analyses were performed for measurement method, timing of assessment, study location, publication year, age, education, parity, history of depression, and maternal depression.
What was found
The pooled meta-estimate for paternal depression was 8.4% (95% CI, 7.2% to 9.6%), with significant heterogeneity among included studies. Prevalence significantly varied based on publication year, study location, measurement method, and maternal depression. Prevalence was not conditional on paternal age, education, parity, history of paternal depression, or timing of assessment.
Why it matters
This review establishes that roughly 1 in 12 fathers experiences depression during the perinatal period, demonstrating that paternal mental health is a substantial concern linked closely to maternal depression and varying considerably by screening tool and setting.
Limits
Analyses were limited by significant heterogeneity across prevalence rates, variability in assessment measures, limited geographic diversity of available studies, sparse data during the first trimester and 6- to 9-month postpartum windows, and inconsistent methods of reporting sociodemographic information.
Cited by
- supports New fathers have lower rates of depression than new mothers.