Fatherhood is a life-changing experience, yet for many men, it comes with emotional and psychological challenges. According to a new study in the Journal of Affective Disorders, men with higher levels of wellbeing before becoming fathers are less likely to experience depression after their child’s birth. The research underscores the importance of preventative mental health strategies for fathers-to-be.
Although maternal mental health during the perinatal period has been extensively studied, paternal mental health has historically been overlooked. This imbalance persists despite evidence that 5% to 10% of new fathers experience depression in the year following childbirth. Paternal depression not only impacts the fathers themselves but also has far-reaching consequences, including strained relationships, weakened father-infant bonding, and adverse developmental and emotional outcomes for children.
The study’s lead author, Ed O’Connor, a mental health researcher and emergency services worker, was motivated by his personal experiences with the mental health challenges of fatherhood. Reflecting on his journey, O’Connor sought to explore not just the struggles faced by new fathers but also the protective role that positive mental health and wellbeing could play in fostering resilience during this transformative stage of life.
“Existing fatherhood literature had highlighted that depression was common, affecting about 1 in 10 new dads in the postnatal year,” O’Connor told PsyPost. “Studies had also found that men with a history of mental health disorders were at greater risk than men with no previous mental health diagnoses. However, the quantitative literature did not really reflect the complexity of mental health experienced by myself and other new fathers I knew.”
“In my opinion, there were opportunities to identify men’s existing mental health strengths and resources, rather than focusing solely on symptoms. Yes, the challenges of parenthood were demanding, and symptoms of psychological distress increased, but so too did a range of positive experiences characteristic of wellbeing (e.g., joy, happiness, pride, purpose, and satisfaction with life). I was interested in this duality of mental health experiences—both positive and ‘negative’—and wanted to explore whether wellbeing might confer protective benefits for future mental ill-health. In other words, for two soon-to-be fathers with the same severity of symptoms, is greater wellbeing associated with a lower risk of depression over time?”
To investigate this, the researchers analyzed data from Ten to Men: The Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health, a large-scale national study that follows men over time to investigate various health and wellbeing outcomes. For this analysis, the researchers focused specifically on first-time fathers, examining their mental health trajectories from the pre-conception period through the first year after their child’s birth (postnatal) and into the post-infancy period.
The dataset included 350 men who provided information at both a pre-conception baseline and a postnatal follow-up period, as well as 427 men who contributed data during the postnatal baseline and a follow-up period beyond infancy.
The researchers found that depressive symptoms before conception were the strongest predictor of postnatal depression. Men with higher pre-conception depressive symptoms were more likely to experience moderate-to-severe depression during the postnatal period. For each one-point increase in depressive symptoms before conception, the likelihood of developing moderate-to-severe depression postnatally increased by 19%.
A history of mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety, was another strong predictor of postnatal depression. Men with a prior diagnosis were over three times more likely to develop moderate-to-severe depression after their child’s birth compared to men without such a history.
Importantly, the researchers also found evidence supporting the protective role of wellbeing, which encompasses factors such as standard of living, personal health, accomplishments in life, interpersonal relationships, sense of safety, community connections, and future security. Higher levels of wellbeing before conception were associated with reduced depressive symptoms and a lower risk of moderate-to-severe depression during the postnatal period.
Even among men with a history of depression or anxiety, better pre-conception wellbeing appeared to offer some protection against postnatal depression. For every one-unit increase in wellbeing, there was a 1.2% decrease in depressive symptom scores and a 10% reduction in the risk of moderate-to-severe depression.
“The key takeaway is that better mental health prior to becoming a father is associated with lower postnatal depressive symptoms,” explained O’Connor and senior author Naomi Kakoschke, a senior research scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. “Preventative work to reduce mental health symptoms and increase wellbeing prior to becoming a father can reduce the risk of depression in early fatherhood. An important finding from our research is that higher wellbeing appears to be protective, even among men with a history of depression and/or anxiety.”
“Our findings were largely in line with previous research but highlighted the importance of examining the relationship between positive and negative aspects of mental health during critical life transition periods such as becoming a father for the first time.”
Surprisingly, wellbeing measured during the postnatal period did not predict depressive symptoms or moderate-to-severe depression in the post-infancy stage. This suggests that while wellbeing before fatherhood plays a protective role, its influence diminishes as other factors—such as parenting stressors or family dynamics—become more prominent during later stages of fatherhood.
The study, like all research, includes some caveats.
“The study involved a secondary analysis of data from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Men’s Health (i.e., Ten to Men),” the researchers noted. “This is a longitudinal study that offers insights into a population that is typically underrepresented in research. However, as with any observational study, we are not able to assume causality. In addition, some fatherhood-specific risk factors were not investigated, such as initial intentions to have a child and access to paid parental leave, given the Ten to Men study was not designed to examine mental health trajectories during the transition to fatherhood.”
Despite these limitations, the study highlights the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the transition to fatherhood. By addressing mental health challenges and promoting wellbeing before men become fathers, it may be possible to reduce the prevalence of postnatal depression and its long-term effects.
“The long-term goal is to inform preventative approaches to mental health screening and promotion activities designed to support men and their families to transition successfully to parenthood,” Kakoschke said.
The study, “Transitioning to fatherhood: Prospective effects of wellbeing on future depression symptoms,” was authored by Edward J. O’Connor, Ian T. Zajac, Emily Brindal, and Naomi Kakoschke.
