Fathers’ mental health deteriorates long after the birth of their child
Fathers in Sweden are less likely to receive a psychiatric diagnosis during their partner’s pregnancy and in the months following the birth of their child. However, diagnoses of depression and stress-related disorders increase a year later, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Sichuan University in China.
“The transition to fatherhood often involves both positive experiences and a range of new stresses,” says Jing Zhou, PhD student at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and co-first author of the paper. “Many cherish the intimate moments with their child, whilst at the same time the relationship with their partner may be affected and sleep quality may deteriorate, which can contribute to an increased risk of mental ill-health.”
The study covers over a million fathers whose children were born in Sweden between 2003 and 2021. By linking various national registers, the researchers have been able to track how often men received a new psychiatric diagnosis from one year before their partner’s pregnancy until their child turned one.
30 percent increase one year later
The results show that the risk of receiving a psychiatric diagnosis decreased during pregnancy and the first few months after birth, compared with the year before. One year after the child’s birth, the rate of anxiety and alcohol- and drug-related diagnoses had returned to levels similar to those before pregnancy. However, for depression and stress-related disorders, a negative trend was observed. These diagnoses increased by over 30 percent one year after childbirth compared to before pregnancy.
“The delayed increase in depression was unexpected and underscores the need to pay attention to warning signs of mental ill-health in fathers long after the birth of their child,” says Donghao Lu, senior lecturer and associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and the paper’s corresponding author.
Provide support at the right time
The researchers emphasise that the study is based on clinical diagnoses, which means that men who did not seek medical care may have been overlooked. Despite this, the results provide a clear picture of when, during parenthood, the risk of mental ill-health may be greatest.
“By identifying periods of increased vulnerability, healthcare providers and other stakeholders can more easily offer support,” says Jing Zhou. “Postnatal depression is often discussed for new mothers, but fathers’ well-being is also important, both for themselves and for the whole family.”
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers at Sichuan University in China and Uppsala University in Sweden. It was funded by Karolinska Institutet’s strategic research area in epidemiology and biostatistics, the Swedish Research Council and the European Research Council. The researchers report no conflicts of interest.
Publication: “Psychiatric disorders among fathers in Sweden before, during and after partner pregnancy”, Nanyan Xiang, Jing Zhou, Yifei Lin MD, Yihui Yang, Miriam Martini, Bowen Tang, Yufeng Chen, Fotios C Papadopoulos, Emma Fransson, Alkistis Skalkidou, Jin Huang, Donghao Lu, JAMA Network Open, online 23 March 2026, doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.2725.
END
“The transition to fatherhood often involves both positive experiences and a range of new stresses,” says Jing Zhou, PhD student at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and co-first author of the paper. “Many cherish the intimate moments with their child, whilst at the same time the relationship with their partner may be affected and sleep quality may deteriorate, which can contribute to an increased risk of mental ill-health.”
The study covers over a million fathers whose children were born in Sweden between 2003 and 2021. By linking various national registers, the researchers have been able to track how often men received a new psychiatric diagnosis from one year before their partner’s pregnancy until their child turned one.
30 percent increase one year later
The results show that the risk of receiving a psychiatric diagnosis decreased during pregnancy and the first few months after birth, compared with the year before. One year after the child’s birth, the rate of anxiety and alcohol- and drug-related diagnoses had returned to levels similar to those before pregnancy. However, for depression and stress-related disorders, a negative trend was observed. These diagnoses increased by over 30 percent one year after childbirth compared to before pregnancy.
“The delayed increase in depression was unexpected and underscores the need to pay attention to warning signs of mental ill-health in fathers long after the birth of their child,” says Donghao Lu, senior lecturer and associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and the paper’s corresponding author.
Provide support at the right time
The researchers emphasise that the study is based on clinical diagnoses, which means that men who did not seek medical care may have been overlooked. Despite this, the results provide a clear picture of when, during parenthood, the risk of mental ill-health may be greatest.
“By identifying periods of increased vulnerability, healthcare providers and other stakeholders can more easily offer support,” says Jing Zhou. “Postnatal depression is often discussed for new mothers, but fathers’ well-being is also important, both for themselves and for the whole family.”
The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers at Sichuan University in China and Uppsala University in Sweden. It was funded by Karolinska Institutet’s strategic research area in epidemiology and biostatistics, the Swedish Research Council and the European Research Council. The researchers report no conflicts of interest.
Publication: “Psychiatric disorders among fathers in Sweden before, during and after partner pregnancy”, Nanyan Xiang, Jing Zhou, Yifei Lin MD, Yihui Yang, Miriam Martini, Bowen Tang, Yufeng Chen, Fotios C Papadopoulos, Emma Fransson, Alkistis Skalkidou, Jin Huang, Donghao Lu, JAMA Network Open, online 23 March 2026, doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.2725.
END