Paternal postnatal depression and parenting behaviours in the first year of life

Abstract

Background: Paternal postnatal depression (PPD) symptomology has been positively associated with poorer outcomes for children. One mechanism by which PPD is thought to influence child outcomes is through parenting. The current study investigated the association between paternal postnatal depressive symptoms and parenting behaviours. Method: Fathers (N = 213) with an infant (mean age = 7 months, 46% female) between 2 and 12 months old were recruited through community and social media advertisements, as well as a paid survey recruitment website. Fathers completed a questionnaire on their symptoms of PPD and how they care for and raise their child (parental warmth, irritability, engagement in enrichment, play and safety behaviours). Results: Fathers experiencing greater levels of PPD symptomatology self-reported higher irritability, lower warmth and fewer safe parenting behaviours but did not report lower enrichment or play with their infants. Conclusion: Overall, findings suggest that PPD symptomology may impact negatively on aspects of fathers' parenting behaviours. Further research using larger and more diverse samples is needed to assess the generalisability of these findings.