Depressive symptoms and parental stress in mothers and fathers 25 months after birth.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms, feelings of incompetence and spouse relationship problems and their mutual relations. Data from a Swedish parent-infant population-based cohort 25 months after childbirth was used. A questionnaire containing Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and a modified Swedish Parental Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ) regarding depression and parental stress was answered by 646 fathers and 700 mothers. Parents with depressive symptoms experienced more feelings of incompetence and spouse relationship problems than parents without depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms (EPDS ≥ 12) was more than11% for mothers and nearly 5% for fathers in the sample, 25 months after childbirth. The result indicated that feelings of incompetence and spouse relationship problems could be important constructs for understanding parental stress and depressive symptoms in the parents of young children. In conclusion, it is important that Child Health Care is attentive to both mothers' and fathers' depressive symptoms and parental stress after the first year.