Postpartum Blues in Fathers: Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Impact on Father-to-Infant Bond

Abstract

In this study we explored, in men, one of the most common postpartum syndromes in women: the postpartum blues. The aims of the study were (a) to evaluate the prevalence of postpartum blues in fathers, (b) to explore the sociodemographic and perinatal factors that may be associated with its intensity, and (c) to investigate the relationship between the intensity of blues symptoms and the quality of father-to-infant bonding. Three hundred and three French-speaking fathers living in France completed a sociodemographic and obstetrical questionnaire, the Maternity Blues Questionnaire, and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire. The fathers were recruited from two maternity hospitals and a Child and Maternal Health Centre within 10 days of their infant’s birth, or from online forums devoted to parenting. At least 17.5% of fathers experienced postpartum blues. A high level of education was associated with a higher level of postpartum blues symptoms. Dissatisfaction with the maternity care and significant father involvement during pregnancy and delivery predicted more severe postpartum blues symptoms. Symptoms of postpartum blues were positively correlated with impairment in the father-to-infant bond. This study lends support to the existence of postpartum blues among fathers and highlights its possible consequences on early father–infant relationships.

No evidence for relationship between paternal post-partum depressive symptoms and testosterone or cortisol in first-time fathers

“…Males (and, by extension, fathers) are also expected to occlude depressive symptoms on self-report inventories leading some to propose revised cutoff values and modified interpretation of scores on existing depression inventories (e.g., Matthey et al, 2001 ). Future research interested in the relationship between cortisol and/or T and depressive symptoms may consider emerging findings from literature on “paternal postpartum blues” where these sex differences in symptomology and reporting biases are more explicitly being considered in the creation of more tailored measure of depressive symptoms for fathers ( Baldy et al, 2023 ).…”