Psychological correlates of depression in fathers and mothers in the first postnatal year

Abstract

This study investigated psychological correlates of depression in fathers and mothers in the first postnatal year, using a mixed, mainly clinically referred sample and a cross-sectional design. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used for depression screening for mothers, and the EPDS, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) for fathers. A total of 75 mothers (47.5%) had EPDS scores > 12, and 45 fathers (48.9%) exceeded the threshold on one or more of the three screening instruments. Most of the variance in paternal and maternal depression was accounted for by neuroticism. However, while mothers appeared primarily influenced by their own personality, perinatal and infant-related factors, fathers appeared more influenced by mothers' personality difficulties and unresolved past events, and mothers' current mental health and infant-related problems, as well as the state of the marital/ de facto relationship. The BDI and EPDS seemed to measure more severe pervasive forms of paternal depression than the GHQ, and the EPDS appeared to tap some items more specifically associated with perinatal psychological risk than the BDI. Depression in one partner was moderately correlated with depression in the other. High rates of paternal depression and anxiety in mothercraft settings suggest the need to routinely assess the mental state of both parents in these settings, and to include fathers in postnatal depression intervention programmes. The mother's negative perceptions of her infant's temperament are significantly associated with maternal and paternal depression, suggesting an important focus for intervention.