Mother-Father Differences in Postnatal Psychological Distress and Its Determinants in Iran

Abstract

AIM:The aim of this study was to investigate the mother-father differences in Postnatal Psychological Distress (PPD) and its determinants among the parents with 8-weeks old children.MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this cross-sectional study, applying simple random sampling, 306 postnatal parents with an 8-weeks old infant in Saqqez County, Iran, were invited to answer the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) items through the telephone interview. Fifty-eight subjects declined to participate in the study (Response Rate = 81.04%). The data were analysed using the SPSS Statistics v. 21.RESULTS:About 16.9% of all the parents had PPD. The difference in the prevalence of PPD in three dimensions between the two groups were statistically significant (p < 0.01): social dysfunction (25.8% for fathers vs. 5.6% for mothers), somatic disorders (21% for fathers vs. 7.3% for mothers), and anxiety (21% for fathers vs. 6.5% for mothers). The mode of delivery of the mothers and the level of education, the number of children, monthly income, and being consent with pregnancy among the fathers were significant predictors for PPD.CONCLUSION:The level of PPD was more prevalent among the new fathers compared to the new mothers. Among the fathers, but not the mothers, socioeconomic characteristics were contributed to PPD. Considering the differences in risk factors for maternal and paternal PPD, our findings may help family health care providers and policymakers in designing gender-specific intervention programs and diagnosis tools aimed at PPD prevention among new parents.

Paternal depression and attachment levels of first‐time fathers in Turkey

“…In the literature, there are studies showing that there is a relationship between the employment status and low-income level of fathers and the risk of depression. 30,31 Similarly, negative situations, such as job loss and low economic situations, have been reported to increase the risk of depression. 12 In addition, in our study, fathers who perceived their financial situation well had higher attachment levels in terms of pleasure in interaction.…”

“…Fathers who perceived their financial situation at a moderate level had higher depression risk levels. In the literature, there are studies showing that there is a relationship between the employment status and low‐income level of fathers and the risk of depression 30,31 . Similarly, negative situations, such as job loss and low economic situations, have been reported to increase the risk of depression 12 .…”

Personal, Interpersonal, and Organizational Predictors of the Mode of Delivery Among Urban Women: A Prospective Study With Socio-Ecological Approach

“…Compared with the mothers with normal vaginal delivery (NVD), the mothers with CS have 5 to 7 times and 4 times higher risks for maternal and neonatal mortality, respectively (Kilsztajn, do Carmo, Machado, Lopes, & Lima, 2007; Nicholson, Yeager, & Macones, 2007; Vafaee, Ghobadi Dashdebi, Momenbellah Fard, Ghalandari, & Gharlipour, 2013). In a recent study, Mahmoodi et al (2017) also found CS as a significant predictor of postnatal psychological distress among new mothers. Choosing CS as the preferred mode of delivery (MOD) among women may be due to different reasons.…”

Is participation in antenatal classes associated with fathers' mental health? A quasi‐experimental and prospective study

“…According to the manual, based on Goldberg's scoring system, individuals with a score of 4 or below are considered normal in terms of mental health, while individuals with a score of 5 or above are evaluated as “at risk for mental problems.” However, the scale is not an exact measure of final diagnosis. GHQ has been widely used for stroke patients (Hjelle et al., 2019), adult individuals (Noorbala et al., 2017), university students (Ilhan et al., 2014), fathers (Mahmoodi et al., 2017), infertile women (Namdar et al. 2017), and the general population (Ames‐Guerrero et al.…”