A new study has found that close to 22 percent of fathers experience high rates of anxiety and depression in at least one occasion during their child’s first year of life.
Published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, the Canadian-led study by experts at the University of Toronto began by recruiting 2,500 fathers during the first few weeks after the birth of their child. The participants were followed for two years thereafter.
The Canadian cohort study led to the conclusion that a substantial number of fathers experience postpartum anxiety and depression.
“High rates of comorbidity among fathers in the first 2 years postpartum demonstrate the importance of perinatal mental health management at a family level,” according to the study’s authors.
“The identification of important modifiable comorbidity risk factors highlights areas for further research and the development of interventions to support paternal mental health to optimize child and family outcomes.”
