Prospective fathers' adverse childhood experiences, pregnancy-related anxiety, and depression during pregnancy.

Abstract

There is a growing knowledge of the predictors of depressive or anxious feelings during pregnancy among prospective fathers, and the present study investigates how paternal adverse childhood experiences relate to anxious and depressive feelings during pregnancy. Participants were recruited to "The Little in Norway Study (LIN-study)" (2010) at different well-baby clinics in Norway; 976 fathers consented to participate in the study, of which 881 had valid data for adverse childhood experiences. The study reports on the relationship between the Adverse Childhood Experience Scale (ACE Scale; R.F. Anda, A. Butchart, V.J. Felitti, & D.W. Brown, 2010) and depressive feelings, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; M. Eberhard-Gran & K. Slinning, 2007), and pregnancy-related anxiety, using the Pregancy-Related Anxiety Scale-Revised (PRAQ-R; A.C. Huizink, E.J. Mulder, D.M.P.G. Robles, & G.H. Visser, 2004). Data collection was comprised of five time points during pregnancy: Time 1 (T1; Weeks 8-34) and four follow-up time points; Time 2 (T2: Weeks 20-25), Time 3 (T3: Weeks 26-31), Time 4 (T4: Weeks 32-34), and Time 5 (T5: Week 36). Fathers' with higher ACE scores reported more pregnancy-related anxiety than did fathers with lower scores at all time points in pregnancy, except at T5 (36 weeks), while also reporting more depressive feelings during pregnancy. Health providers and community centers should pay more attention to fathers' mental health during pregnancy, as the whole family system needs to be considered during pregnancy to provide optimal healthcare. Adverse childhood experiences among fathers-to-be may increase depressive and anxious feelings during pregnancy.