WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A large study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Sichuan University in China has uncovered that while psychiatric diagnoses among fathers tend to decline during pregnancy and the early months after birth, they rise sharply about a year later.
'The transition to fatherhood often involves both positive experiences and a range of new stresses,' said co-first author Jing Zhou, PhD student at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. 'Many cherish the intimate moments with their child, whilst at the same time the relationship with their partner may be affected and sleep quality may deteriorate, which can contribute to an increased risk of mental ill-health.'
The study analyzed data from more than one million fathers in Sweden whose children were born between 2003 and 2021. Researchers used linked national registry data to track how often men received new psychiatric diagnoses, beginning one year before pregnancy and continuing through the child's first year of life.
Published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the results showed that psychiatric diagnoses became less common during pregnancy and in the initial months after birth compared with the year prior. By the time the child reached one year of age, diagnoses related to anxiety and substance use had returned to pre-pregnancy levels.
However, not all conditions followed the same trend. Rates of depression and stress-related disorders rose significantly, increasing by more than 30 percent compared with levels seen before pregnancy, indicating that while some mental health risks stabilize over time, others may intensify as the responsibilities of parenthood grow.
'The delayed increase in depression was unexpected and underscores the need to pay attention to warning signs of mental ill-health in fathers long after the birth of their child,' said corresponding author Donghao Lu, senior lecturer and associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet.
The researchers also pointed out that the study is based on clinical diagnoses, meaning some cases may have gone unrecorded if individuals did not seek medical help. However, the findings highlight the need for greater awareness and support during the transition to parenthood.
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