Peer-reviewed article
“Dad is feeling blue”: what to know about paternal perinatal depression
Peixoto C, Rego D, Cruz M, Medeiros H ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This literature review examines paternal perinatal depression (PPD), a major depressive disorder occurring in new or expectant fathers during the perinatal period. The study found a meta-analysis estimate of 10.4% prevalence and identified multiple risk factors including sociodemographic factors like marital status and social support, psychological factors such as history of depression, and possible hormonal changes. PPD presents with mood alterations, anxiety, fatigue, and behavioural disturbances, and when untreated can negatively affect the health and wellbeing of both mother and child. The authors conclude that PPD remains underscreened, underdiagnosed and undertreated, and call for further research and development of specific interventions.
Key points
- Paternal perinatal depression affects approximately 10.4% of new or expectant fathers
- Risk factors include sociodemographic factors (marital status, income, social support), psychological factors (history of depression, maternal prenatal anxiety), and possible hormonal changes (increased estrogen, lower testosterone)
- Symptoms include mood alterations (irritability, restricted emotions), anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite, and behavioural disturbances (interpersonal conflicts, impulsivity, violence, substance abuse)
- Current treatment approaches mirror those used for women (antidepressants and psychotherapy) as no PPD-specific treatments exist
- Untreated PPD has adverse consequences for the mental and physical health of mothers and children
Limitations
This is a non-systematic literature review without explicit methodology for study selection, so the comprehensiveness and potential bias of included studies cannot be assessed. The review provides limited detail on the strength of evidence for individual findings or the geographic distribution of research included.
Abstract
Introduction The transition into parenthood is associated with an increased psychopathological vulnerability. Most studies have focused on mothers, although recently, the role of fathers has grown more importance. Paternal perinatal depression (PPD) is an episode of major depressive disorder occurring in new or expectant fathers during the perinatal period. PPD is not widely acknowledged and research are rare. Objectives The authors intend to review the literature about PPD, focusing on its prevalence, risk factors, clinical features, treatment and consequences. Methods Non-systematic review of the literature through PubMed. Results A meta-analysis of PPD estimated a prevalence of 10.4%. Risk factors of PPD are multiple and complex. There are sociodemographic factors, such as marital status, monthly income and social support. Psychological factors, for instance history of depression, maternal prenatal anxiety and maternal depression. Some literature also suggests hormonal changes on men like increase estrogen and lower testosterone levels. PPD can present with symptoms of mood alterations, like irritability and restricted emotions, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite. Also common are behavioural disturbances such as interpersonal conflicts, impulsivity, violence, avoidance behaviour, and substance abuse. There are no studies to specific treatments to PPD, so the treatment is the same for women, such as antidepressants and psychotherapy. If untreated, PPD can have an adverse influence on the health and wellbeing of the mother and child. Conclusions PPD is still underscreened, underdiagnosed and undertreated. It is fundamental identifying risk factors and the development of specific interventions. Further research on PPD is needed. Disclosure No significant relationships.