Paternal Mental Distress Linked to Poorer Offspring Development
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2025 -- Paternal mental distress is associated with poorer child development, according to a study published online June 16 in JAMA Pediatrics.
Genevieve Le Bas, D.Psych., from the SEED Lifespan Strategic Research Centre at Deakin University in Burwood, Australia, and colleagues conducted a meta-analytic synthesis of the literature on the association between paternal perinatal depression, anxiety, and stress and offspring development during the first 18 years of life. Of the studies identified, 48 cohorts (from 84 studies) with 674 effect sizes met criteria for quantitative synthesis.
The researchers found that there were associations for paternal perinatal mental distress with poorer global, social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development in offspring (r = −0.12, 0.09, −0.07, −0.15, and 0.04, respectively). There was no evidence for adaptive and motor outcomes. Generally stronger associations were seen for postnatal than antenatal mental distress, suggesting that a more direct influence on the developing child may be exerted by the father's mental state after birth.
"A comprehensive approach involving fathers, partners, and children is likely to mitigate the compounding effects of parental mental distress and early offspring developmental delay," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
BRCA Mutations Linked to Breast Implant Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2025 -- For women with breast cancer (BC), BRCA mutations are associated with increased risk of developing breast implant–associated anaplastic large...
ADA: Orforglipron Reduces Glycated Hemoglobin in Early Type 2 Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2025 -- The oral small-molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, orforglipron, reduced glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) over 40 weeks in adults with early...
Self-Esteem Scores Soar One Year After Metabolic, Bariatric Surgery
TUESDAY, June 24, 2025 -- Self-esteem scores increase after metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), with greater improvement in scores for those with higher postoperative weight...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.