Promoting infant well-being in the context of maternal depression by supporting the father

Abstract

Maternal depression is recognized as posing a significant risk to the healthy development of infants. Guided by attachment theory, interventions have focused on the distressed mother's relationship with her infant. While interventions which include fathers are reported in the literature, the processes involved in the fathers' support of a distressed mother and in his interactions with his infant in the context of maternal depression remain unexplored. In the case study described here, home-visiting support was directed to the father in a couple in which the mother had been treated for depression after the birth. The observed effects of the intervention on father-infant interaction and the "knock-on" effects on the mothers' parenting suggest that targeting support to fathers in distressed families should be considered. Points for a service protocol are provided to incorporate fathers into the identification and treatment of maternal distress. © 2009 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.