TY  - JOUR
A1  - Zacher, Magdalena
A1  - Wollanka, Nele
A1  - Sauer, Christina
A1  - Haßtenteufel, Kathrin
A1  - Wallwiener, Stephanie
A1  - Wallwiener, Markus
A1  - Maatouk, Imad
T1  - Prenatal paternal depression, anxiety, and somatic symptom burden in different risk samples: an explorative study
JF  - Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics
N2  - Purpose
Growing evidence implies that transition to parenthood triggers symptoms of mental burden not only in women but likewise in men, especially in high-risk pregnancies. This is the first study that examined and compared the prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and somatic symptom burden of expectant fathers who face different risk situations during pregnancy.

Methods
Prevalence rates of paternal depression (Edinburgh postnatal depression scale), anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder seven), and somatic symptom burden (somatic symptom scale eight) were examined in two risk samples and one control group in the third trimester of their partners’ pregnancy: risk sample I (n = 41) consist of expectant fathers whose partners were prenatally hospitalized due to medical complications; risk sample II (n = 52) are fathers whose partners were prenatally mentally distressed; and control group (n = 70) are those non-risk pregnancies.

Results
On a purely descriptive level, the data display a trend of higher symptom burden of depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms in the two risk samples, indicating that expectant fathers, whose pregnant partners were hospitalized or suffered prenatal depression, were more prenatally distressed. Exploratory testing of group differences revealed an almost three times higher prevalence rate of anxiety in fathers whose partner was hospitalized (12.2%) compared to those non-risks (4.3%).

Conclusion
Results underline the need for screening implementations for paternal prenatal psychological distress, as well as specific prevention and treatment programs, especially for fathers in risk situations, such as their pregnant partners’ prenatal hospitalization.

The study was registered with the German clinical trials register (DRKS00020131) on 2019/12/09.
KW  - prenatal paternal depression
KW  - anxiety
KW  - somatic symptom burden
KW  - risk pregnancy
KW  - hospitalization
Y1  - 2023
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324465
VL  - 307
IS  - 4
ER  -