A study from Karolinska Institutet and Sichuan University shows that fathers in Sweden experience a significant increase in depression and stress-related diagnoses one year after their child's birth. The research, based on over one million fathers whose children were born in Sweden between 2003 and 2021, found that psychiatric diagnoses decreased during the partner's pregnancy and the first months after birth compared to the year before. However, one year after childbirth, diagnoses for depression and stress-related issues increased by over 30% compared to before the pregnancy, while anxiety and alcohol- and drug-related diagnoses returned to pre-pregnancy levels.
The study used clinical diagnoses from national registers, meaning it does not capture men who did not seek care. Researchers emphasize the need to monitor fathers' mental health long after birth to provide timely support.