Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Depressive symptoms and parental stress in mothers and fathers 25 months after birth
Maude Johansson1, Idor Svensson2, Ulf Stenström3
11 Linneaus University, Department of Psychology Vaxjo, Sweden.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms, feelings of incompetence and spouse relationship problems and their mutual relations. Data from a Swedish parent-infant population-based cohort 25 months after childbirth was used. A questionnaire containing Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and a modified Swedish Parental Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ) regarding depression and parental stress was answered by 646 fathers and 700 mothers. Parents with depressive symptoms experienced more feelings of incompetence and spouse relationship problems than parents without depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms (EPDS ≥ 12) was more than11% for mothers and nearly 5% for fathers in the sample, 25 months after childbirth. The result indicated that feelings of incompetence and spouse relationship problems could be important constructs for understanding parental stress and depressive symptoms in the parents of young children. In conclusion, it is important that Child Health Care is attentive to both mothers' and fathers' depressive symptoms and parental stress after the first year.
Related Concept Videos
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Psychological Responses to Stress

