Validation and optimal cut-off score of the Multidimensional Paternal Perinatal Scale (MPPS)

Area of Science:

• Perinatal mental health
• Psychological assessment
• Men's health

Background:

• Perinatal mental health issues affect fathers, impacting family well-being.
• Existing tools may not comprehensively assess paternal emotional well-being.
• The Multidimensional Paternal Perinatal Scale (MPPS) was developed to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the discriminant and concurrent validity of the MPPS.
• To determine optimal cut-off scores for identifying at-risk fathers.
• To confirm the MPPS's utility in antenatal and postnatal periods.

Main Methods:

• Assessed discriminant validity using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
• Evaluated concurrent validity via group differentiation (depressed, anxious, stressed fathers).
• Employed Receiver Operating Characteristic Analysis to identify optimal cut-off scores.

Main Results:

• The MPPS demonstrated good discriminant and concurrent validity.
• Optimal cut-off scores were identified: ANT-MPPS (Depression: 23.5, Anxiety: 41.5, Stress: 38.5).
• Optimal cut-off scores for POST-MPPS: Depression: 64.5, Anxiety: 65.5, Stress: 65.5.

Conclusions:

• Both antenatal and postnatal versions of the MPPS effectively identify fathers at risk.
• The MPPS serves as a valuable tool for clinicians and researchers.
• Early identification enables timely intervention for paternal perinatal mental health.