High paternal testosterone may protect against postpartum depressive symptoms in fathers, but confer risk to mothers and children

Saxbe, Darby; Schetter, Christine Dunkel; Simon, Clarissa D.; Adam, Emma K.; Shalowitz, Madeleine U.

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.07.014

Cited by 40 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Several biological factors have been investigated to explain the onset of PPND. Low testosterone levels correlate with both paternal and maternal depressive symptoms [69,70]. Testosterone levels decrease during pregnancy and for several months after childbirth, in order to reduce aggressiveness and to promote attachment with the child; indeed, the father expresses greater sympathy and caring attitudes towards the newborn [71][72][73].…”

Section: Biological Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

When Fathers Begin to Falter: A Comprehensive Review on Paternal Perinatal Depression

Bruno

Celebre

Mento

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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C.M.); zoccali@unime.it (R.A.Z.); mmuscatello@unime.it (M.R.A.M.)Abstract: The transition to parenthood is considered to be a major life transition that can increase the vulnerability to parental depressive disorders, including paternal perinatal depression (PPND).Although it is known that many fathers experience anxiety and depression during the perinatal period, PPND is a recent diagnostic entity and there are not enough published studies on it. Accordingly, its prevalence and epidemiology are still not well defined, although the majority of studies agree that PPND is less frequent than maternal perinatal depression and postpartum depression. Nevertheless, PPND is different from maternal perinatal mental health disorders, usually, fathers have less severe symptoms, and mood alterations are often in comorbidity with other affective disorders. Despite the absence of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and the fluctuation of prevalence rates, clinical symptoms have been defined. The main symptoms are mood alterations and anxiety, followed by behavioral disturbances and concerns about the progress of pregnancy and the child's health. Moreover, PPND negatively impacts on family functioning, on couples' relationships, and on family members' well-being. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the current understandings on PPND and the potential screening, prevention, and treatment options.

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Section: Biological Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

When Fathers Begin to Falter: A Comprehensive Review on Paternal Perinatal Depression

Bruno

Celebre

Mento

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…Meanwhile, our team's prior work from the present fisher‐farmer population in Republic of the Congo showed that fathers who were rated as better providers had higher T compared to their peers, which may reflect risk taking or competitive dynamics related to provisioning (Boyette et al, ). The relative lack of sampling diversity in this research area limits our ability to build frameworks for the psychobiological, intervention, and clinical implications of these hormones across a broader range of human experience and also poses barriers to framing and reconstructing their adaptive functions in more evolutionarily relevant ecological contexts (Crespi, ; Gettler, ; Gettler & Oka, ; Gettler, Sarma, et al, ; Olff et al, ; Saxbe, Schetter, Simon, Adam, & Shalowitz, ; Swain et al, ; van Anders et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Leur production conjointe basée sur les dynamiques familiales a rarement été testée, en particulier de manière transculturelle. ative lack of sampling diversity in this research area limits our ability to build frameworks for the psychobiological, intervention, and clinical implications of these hormones across a broader range of human experience and also poses barriers to framing and reconstructing their adaptive functions in more evolutionarily relevant ecological contexts (Crespi, 2016;Gettler, 2014;Gettler & Oka, 2016;Gettler, Sarma, et al, 2017;Olff et al, 2013;Saxbe, Schetter, Simon, Adam, & Shalowitz, 2017;Swain et al, 2014;van Anders et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mothers' and fathers' joint profiles for testosterone and oxytocin in a small‐scale fishing‐farming community: Variation based on marital conflict and paternal contributions

et al. 2019

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Introduction Testosterone and oxytocin are psychobiological mechanisms that interrelate with relationship quality between parents and the quantity and quality of parenting behaviors, thereby affecting child outcomes. Their joint production based on family dynamics has rarely been tested, particularly cross‐culturally. Methods We explored family function and salivary testosterone and oxytocin in mothers and fathers in a small‐scale, fishing‐farming society in Republic of the Congo. Fathers ranked one another in three domains of family life pertaining to the local cultural model of fatherhood. Results Fathers who were viewed as better providers had relatively lower oxytocin and higher testosterone than men seen as poorer providers, who had lower testosterone and higher oxytocin. Fathers also had higher testosterone and lower oxytocin in marriages with more conflict, while those who had less marital conflict had reduced testosterone and higher oxytocin. In contrast, mothers in conflicted marriages showed the opposite profiles of relatively lower testosterone and higher oxytocin. Mothers had higher oxytocin and lower testosterone if fathers were uninvolved as direct caregivers, while mothers showed an opposing pattern for the two hormones if fathers were seen as involved with direct care. Conclusions These results shed new light on parents' dual oxytocin and testosterone profiles in a small‐scale society setting and highlight the flexibility of human parental psychobiology when fathers' roles and functions within families differ across cultures.

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“…Both maternal and paternal postpartum depression has been linked with hormones that appear to change over the transition to parenthood, including testosterone, prolactin, and oxytocin (Yim, Tanner Stapleton, Guardino, Hahn-Holbook, & Dunkel Schetter, 2015). For example, Saxbe, Dunkel Schetter, Simon, Adam, and Shalowitz (2017) found that low postpartum testosterone in fathers was associated with more PPD symptoms in those fathers but fewer PPD symptoms in their partners. Generally, however, the literature on the hormonal correlates of PPD has been small and fairly inconclusive (Yim et al, 2015).…”

Section: Mood Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Transition to Parenthood as a Critical Window for Adult Health

Saxbe¹,

Rossin‐Slater²,

Goldenberg³

2018

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Becoming a parent is a transformative experience, marked by hormonal changes and neuroplasticity as well as shifts in self-concept, social roles, and daily routines. Although the arrival of a new baby is often a joyful event, the postpartum period can also be a time of heightened psychosocial stress and health behavior changes including significant sleep disruption and decreased physical activity. Markers of allostatic load, such as physiological stress and inflammation, may also become dysregulated during this time. Given these neurobiological, psychosocial, and behavioral changes, the transition to parenthood may shape health trajectories in midlife. For many mothers and fathers, the transition to parenthood represents an inflection point for obesity, such that perinatal weight gains are retained long-term. Similarly, many individuals experience their first episode of major depression during the postpartum period. In sum, the transition to parenthood may represent a critical window for determining both mental and physical health in midlife and beyond. Physical and mental health problems over the transition to parenthood may be exacerbated for parents without access to protected, paid time off from employment. Known disparities in mood disorders, obesity, and allostatic load may be linked to risk factors stemming from the perinatal period. This paper will relate the importance of the transition to parenthood to population health and discuss parental leave policy as an example of an initiative that can support parents and relieve stress during the perinatal period.

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High paternal testosterone may protect against postpartum depressive symptoms in fathers, but confer risk to mothers and children

Cited by 40 publications

References 42 publications

When Fathers Begin to Falter: A Comprehensive Review on Paternal Perinatal Depression

When Fathers Begin to Falter: A Comprehensive Review on Paternal Perinatal Depression

Mothers' and fathers' joint profiles for testosterone and oxytocin in a small‐scale fishing‐farming community: Variation based on marital conflict and paternal contributions

The Transition to Parenthood as a Critical Window for Adult Health

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