Paternal perinatal stress is associated with children's emotional problems at 2 years.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Paternal mental health in pregnancy and postpartum has been increasingly highlighted as important both in its own right, but also as crucial for the development of children. Rates of help-seeking among fathers is low, possibly due to conceptualising their own difficulties as stress rather than problems with mood. The relationship between paternal stress and child outcomes has not been investigated.

Methods

This study used data from the Finnish CHILD-SLEEP birth cohort. Data were available for 901 fathers and 939 mothers who completed questionnaires on demographics, stress, anxiety and depression at 32 weeks gestation, 3 months, 8 months and 24 months postpartum. Parental report of child emotional and behavioural problems was collected at 24 months.

Results

SUBMITTER: Challacombe FL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10092317 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature