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
Preconception Hypoglycemia Linked to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
MONDAY, Aug. 4, 2025 -- Preconception hypoglycemia is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published online July 29 in PLOS Medicine. Hanbin Wu, from...
CVD Mortality Varies Among Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino Americans
MONDAY, Aug. 4, 2025 -- Cardiovascular risk factor and disease mortality varies significantly among Asian Indian, Chinese, and Filipino Americans, with Filipino Americans having...
Mental Illness Increased During, After Pregnancy for Gestational Carriers
MONDAY, Aug. 4, 2025 -- Gestational carriers seem to be more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness during and after pregnancy than those with unassisted pregnancies or...
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.