Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate paternal depression occurring during a partner’s pregnancy in the Chugoku region of Japan, as well as to examine the factors associated with paternal depression and its possible relevance to the attachment with the child.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression in men. Sociodemographic details and background factors from previous studies on paternal depression included. In particular, relevant scales were used to assess occupational stress, occupational satisfaction, marital relationship, and mother-to-infant bonding (Japanese version of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale). The participants were 64 men whose partners were in their third trimester of pregnancy. Descriptive statistics were calculated and subsequently analyzed by bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis using IBM SPSS^® Statistics version 24.0 and EZR [1], with P<0.05, considered statistically significant.
Results: Twelve fathers (18.75%, 95% CI: 10.1-30.5%) had greater than mild depression on the PHQ-9. The health status of the child, occupational stress, and marital relationships were associated with depression in men (p<0.05). The depression group had significantly higher occupational stress, and poor marital relationships. The factors associated with depression with significant odds ratios were occupational stress and marital status.
Conclusion: In the Chugoku region, depression among fathers whose partners were pregnant was as much as in mothers. However, the specific factor associated with paternal depression appeared to be occupational stress and marital relationships. The findings of this study provide a basis for considering interventions for perinatal paternal depression.