Prevalence of Paternal Prenatal Depression and Its Associated Factors in Saudi Arabia

Paternal prenatal depression affects not only the fathers but also their spouses and children's future lives. Many socioeconomic and cultural factors affect the probability of paternal depression. Little is known about the prevalence of and factors associated with paternal prenatal depression in the Middle East.

To estimate the prevalence of paternal prenatal depression among fathers visiting a tertiary university hospital, as well as to determine the factors associated with paternal prenatal depression within study participants.

This analytical cross-sectional study included 442 fathers whose wives were pregnant and were undergoing regular assessments at antenatal clinics in a tertiary university hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess paternal depression. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

The prevalence of paternal prenatal depression was 26.9%. It was correlated with smoking (odds ratio (OR)=1.8, p=0.006), maternal depression (OR=4.59, p<0.001), and experiencing isolation (OR=5.34, p<0.001). The odds of paternal prenatal depression decreased with social support from friends and family (OR=0.227 and 0.133, respectively) and p<0.001.

Paternal prenatal depression was prevalent within the study participants. Notably, experiences of isolation and maternal depression emerged as prominent factors that were significantly associated with the manifestation of paternal depression. Consequently, it becomes imperative to implement systematic depression screenings for expectant fathers and to meticulously consider the array of the factors associated with paternal depression.