Preconception paternal mental health history as predictor of antenatal depression in pregnant women.

Background: Depression occurring during the perinatal period (PND) could affect both future mother and father. PND may lead to several adverse physical and mental health outcomes for the whole family. Several psychopathological determinants have been identified, even though few studies investigated the role of paternal mental health in the onset of maternal perinatal depression (MPND). Hence, a retrospective cohort study was carried out in order to investigate the relationship between paternal mental health and the occurrence of antenatal maternal depression as well as identifying potential sociodemographic, clinical and obstetrical predictors in the development of MPND.

Methods: All pregnant women afferent to the Perinatal Mental Health Outpatient Service of the Unit of Clinical Psychiatry at the University Hospital of Marche, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy, between April 2021 to February 2022, were consecutively recruited and longitudinally screened for antenatal depression. The sample was divided in two groups, based on the screening by using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) for PND. A stepwise binary logistic regression analysis was performed in order to evaluate the predictors associated with the presence of antenatal depression (vs. the absence of antenatal depression).

Results: A total of 106 participants among all 460 screened from April 2021 to February 2022, were retrospectively included. In our sample, a prevalence of 13.2% in antenatal depression was found. The binary logistic regression model showed that the higher maternal age (OR = 1.320; p = 0.005), gestational comorbidity (OR = 10.931; p = 0.010), pregnant women's (OR = 19.001; p = 0,001) and their partner's positive history (OR = 16.536; p = 0.004) for mental disorder significantly predicted the presence of antenatal depression in our sample.

Conclusions: Our study suggests the need to investigate the pre-existing psychopathology of the pregnant woman's partner as a potential risk factor for MPND, particularly for antenatal depression. Overall, a better understanding and investigation of all potential risk and/or protective factors for the onset and/or maintenance and/or worsening of MPND could help clinicians in early identifying treatment strategies to improve maternal mental health as well as future father's mental health.