Parental psychological distress in the postnatal period in Japan: a population-based analysis of a national cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Mental health assessments of both members of a couple are important when considering the childrearing environment. the prevalence and factors associated with both parents' psychological distress have not been fully investigated. A nationally representative sample from the 2016 Comprehensive Survey of Living conditions in Japan was used to examine the prevalence of moderate and severe psychological distress in parents in the first year after childbirth. In total, 3,514 two-parent households raising children under one year old met the study criteria. the Japanese version of Kessler 6 was used to assess moderate and severe psychological distress. The prevalence of either or both parents experiencing psychological distress in the first year after birth were 15.1% and 3.4%, respectively. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed factors of fathers who worked ≥ 55 h a week, reduced duration of sleep in mothers, age in months of the youngest child, and high household expenditures were significantly associated with both parents simultaneously having moderate or severe psychological distress. this study implied the importance of prevention and early detection of parental psychological distress in both parents. Assessing parents' psychological distress and workstyle reform in the childcare period is an urgent issue to improve their mental health conditions. Psychological distress in the postpartum period often manifests as depressive episodes in both men and women and is a serious health issue for parents 1. Previous research has demonstrated the negative impact of maternal depression on infant hospitalization and mortality 2 , duration of breastfeeding 3 , parenting 4 , and child development 5,6. Compared with maternal depression, paternal depression has not been recognized as a serious health issue within the general population worldwide. However, the negative effects of paternal depression on maternal and child health have been indicated by previous studies. These include an increase in inappropriate parenting behaviour 7 , impaired bonding with infants 8 , less enriching parenting activities 9 , adverse effects on emotional, behavioural, and psychosocial development in child 10,11 , and depression in adolescence 12. It is also known that paternal depression has the potential to increase father's risk of suicide 13 and healthcare costs 14. According to a recent meta-analysis and systematic review, the estimate for paternal depression in the first year after childbirth is 8.4% [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 7.2-9.6%] 15. The estimate for maternal depression is slightly higher [11.9%, (95% CI: 11.4%-12.5%)] 16. The prevalence rates for any anxiety disorder among fathers in the postnatal period ranged from 2.4-18.0% 17. The prevalence of depressive episodes in fathers in the first year after birth was relatively high, compared with later years 18. Previous studies have shown that paternal depression and maternal depression are positively correlated 15,19-22 , and the occurrence of depression in one parent led to a...

Associations between Coparenting Relationships and Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Negative Bonding to Infant

“…Postpartum depression, caused by unfamiliarity with child-rearing, is a mental illness suffered by some mothers [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]; approximately 10% of mothers experience depressive symptoms within one postpartum year [ 5 ]. Peak prevalence of postpartum depression, 13%, has been found to occur in the first three to four months postpartum [ 6 ].…”

“…Thus, it is imperative that mothers receive support to prevent depressive symptoms and facilitate bonding with their infant. In the context of Japan, a postpartum care project recently initiated by the government has begun to identify and treat women with postpartum depression within one month after giving birth; however, the incidence of postpartum depression has not yet decreased [ 5 ].…”

Association of child's disability status with father's health outcomes in Japan

“…The majority of the disabled children in the present study were boys (70%) and had lowest severity (level 1) of disability (47%). This study found that the prevalence of psychological distress (17%) among fathers of disabled children aged 6–17 years is higher than among fathers (11%) of children below 1 year of age ( Takehara et al, 2020 ) as well as the overall prevalence of psychological distress (10.5%) in the Japanese population in 2016 ( Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare of Japan, 2017 ). We found a significantly higher odds ratio of psychological distress and poor subjective health status among fathers of disabled compared to non-disabled children.…”

“…The effectiveness of the Japanese version of K6 examined using areas under curve and stratum specific likelihood ratios (SSLR) demonstrated a likelihood ratio of greater than ten for a total K6 score of nine or more ( Furukawa et al, 2008 ). As a SSLR of 10 or more is considered highly effective in mental health screening, we used a cut-off of 9–24 to indicate psychological distress ( Furukawa et al, 2003 ; Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare of Japan, 2017 ; Schmitz et al, 2000 ; Takehara et al, 2020 ).…”

A Review of Issues Concerning the Support for Fathers During Pregnancy: Research Trends in Japan

“…Before childbirth, it is thus necessary to gain knowledge about child-rearing and be aware of how a couple should raise a child. In Japan, research on postpartum depression has been conducted since the father"s pregnancy (Takehara, 2020). Parental depression during pregnancy can be a risk factor for attachment to the child.…”