The Link Between Paternal Stress and Child Development

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A new study has found that a father’s mental health during and after pregnancy plays an important role in their child’s development — from infancy through adolescence.

Previous research has shown that men are at an increased risk of mental distress, including depression (8%), anxiety (11%) and elevated stress (between 6% and 9%) in the period during transition to fatherhood.

“Most studies to date have focused on maternal pathways, although the past decade has seen an increased focus on the role of fathers in shaping development,” wrote corresponding author Delyse Hutchinson, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and associate professor in the SEED Lifespan Strategic Research Centre, in the School of Psychology, at Deakin University, Australia. “Synthesizing this literature may inform preventative interventions and clinical approaches aimed at supporting fathers and children.”

This large-scale analysis combined data from 84 studies worldwide, representing 48 different research cohorts and more than 650 measures of development.

A team of investigators looked at whether a father’s depression, anxiety or stress during the perinatal period (just before and after birth) affected how their children grew and developed. They searched MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO, CINAHL Complete and Embase for relevant studies from inception to November 2024.

The results were clear: Children of fathers who experienced perinatal mental distress were more likely to have difficulties in several areas of development. These included overall development, social and emotional well-being, cognitive ability (how children think and learn), language skills and physical growth. The strongest associations were seen with emotional and language development.

Importantly, the study found that a father’s mental health after the baby is born — known as the postnatal period — had a bigger impact than mental health issues during pregnancy. Results highlight how vital it is to support new dads as they transition into fatherhood, not just during pregnancy, but especially after the baby arrives.

While the effects measured were small to moderate, the findings show that paternal mental distress is a meaningful and changeable risk factor. This means that helping fathers manage stress, anxiety or depression around the time their child is born could lead to better outcomes for the whole family. Just as maternal mental health is prioritized, this research encourages more support for dads too.

While this review offers valuable insights about how a father’s mental health can affect their child’s development, it’s important to understand some limitations of the research. First, the studies included in this review used different methods and didn’t always account for other possible influencing factors (such as family income or maternal health). Because of that, the results reflect general trends, not cause-and-effect relationships. Next, a few of the studies may have had gaps in their data or used samples that don’t fully represent all families. This could affect how well the findings apply to everyone. Finally, even though about half of the study participants came from non-English-speaking countries, the review only analyzed studies published in English. This means some helpful research may have been left out.

Despite these limitations, the results still demonstrate an important and often overlooked topic: the role of a father’s mental health in a child’s well-being. The team says that this research will help build on these results with even more detail and precision.

“Paternal mental health could be improved through engaging support from health professionals, online interventions, peer groups and surrounding structures (e.g., work and care or educational facilities),” investigators concluded. “A comprehensive approach involving fathers, partners, and children is likely to mitigate the compounding effects of parental mental distress and early offspring developmental delay.”