Fathers' mental health during the ante-and postnatal periods: Knowledge, recommendations and interventions

This paper discusses what we know about paternal depression during the perinatal period and if there are any effective interventions for it. Available prevalence estimates suggest that depression experienced by men perinatally may be elevated and specific and/or related to this significant life stage. Currently, there is a paucity of research evaluating how depression during the perinatal period manifests differently in men than women and if men cope with their depression in ways different to women. There is also a lack of studies comparing the risk factors of paternal depression during the perinatal period and the risk factors for general depression in men. Studies showed that paternal perinatal depression not only affects the men, but their children as well. On reviewing the studies on interventions, it is clear that further randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions are needed to establish efficacious and cost-effective treatment protocols for men.