Parent and Peer Attachments in Adolescence and Paternal Postpartum Mental Health: Findings From the ATP Generation 3 Study

Abstract

Background: When adolescent boys experience close, secure relationships with their parents and peers, the implications are potentially far reaching, including lower levels of mental health problems in adolescence and young adulthood. Here we use rare prospective intergenerational data to extend our understanding of the impact of adolescent attachments on subsequent postpartum mental health problems in early fatherhood.Methods: At age 17–18 years, we used an abbreviated Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment to assess trust, communication, and alienation reported by 270 male participants in their relationships with mothers, fathers, and peers. More than a decade later, we assessed the adult males, now fathers, at 12 months postpartum (N = 409 infant offspring) for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Logistic regression was used to examine the extent to which attachment dimensions predicted paternal postpartum mental health, adjusting for potential confounding, and with assessment for interactions between parent and peer attachments.Results: Trust in mothers and peers, and good communication with fathers during adolescence, were associated with 5 to 7 percentage point reductions in postpartum mental health symptoms in early fatherhood. Weak evidence of parent-peer interactions suggested secure attachments with either parent or peer may compensate for an insecure attachment with the other.Conclusions: Our results suggest that fostering trust and communication in relationships that adolescent boys have with parents and peers may have substantial effects on rates of paternal postpartum mental health problems. The protective benefits may be preventative in intergenerational cycles of risk for mental health problems.

Depressive Symptoms in Expecting Fathers: Is Paternal Perinatal Depression a Valid Concept? A Systematic Review of Evidence

“…However, since the late 1950s, the literature on fathers’ depressive reactions during their wives’ pregnancies has not kept pace with that on women’s perinatal depression (1733 records on PubMed on 13 August 2022 vs. 11,602 results on the same database on the same day). This disparity is regretted by investigators of fathers’ perinatal depression, because its consequence is that fewer resources are available for dedicated programs directed to counteracting paternal depression [ 7 , 8 ]. The fact that there are no diagnostic criteria for paternal depression in commonly accepted diagnostic systems [ 9 ] renders this disparity a natural consequence.…”

The Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 study: a population-based multigenerational prospective cohort study of socioemotional health and development

“…We have also examined pre-conception relational factors, finding that prospectively assessed attachment security in adolescence reduced risk for postpartum mental health difficulties (OR range =0.62–0.55), 34 and perceived social support assessed prospectively during both the preconception and postpartum periods enhanced relationship quality and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic (β range =0.11–0.22). 35 …”

“…31 Higher levels of infant reactivity and behaviour problems were also observed in infants of mothers with a history of mental health problems in both adolescence and young adulthood compared with those without problems during these periods (β range =0.38-0.52). 32 33 We have also examined pre-conception relational factors, finding that prospectively assessed attachment security in adolescence reduced risk for postpartum mental health difficulties (OR range =0.62-0.55), 34 and perceived social support assessed prospectively during both the preconception and postpartum periods enhanced relationship quality and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic (β range =0.11-0.22). 35 STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS ATPG3 is unique in its three-generation prospective design with 15 waves of preconception data in females and males from infancy to adulthood (27-28 years) and comprehensive assessments of next generation offspring from pregnancy to early childhood.…”

Berührungsmedizin – ein komplementärer therapeutischer Ansatz unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Depressionsbehandlung

“…Intensität von frühem Körperkontakt, Bindung und dem Risiko späterer psychischer Störungen wie z. B. Depression hingewiesen 35 40 41 42 43 44 45 . Früher Körperkontakt stellt folglich eine primärpräventive Intervention dar, die sich positiv auf die physische und psychosoziale Gesundheit auswirkt 46 .…”