Perinatal Period: Psychological Functioning of Fathers During the First 1000 days of Child's Life

The first 1,000 days of life represent a critical phase for child development and may have a significant impact on parents' psychological functioning. While numerous studies have focused on mothers, limited data are currently available regarding the potential psychological changes experienced by fathers during this perinatal period. This study aimed to explore the fathers' mental health during the perinatal period. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 76 French-speaking fathers in Belgium. Participants were divided into two groups: fathers in the perinatal period (n = 51) and fathers outside the perinatal period (n = 25). Data were collected through an online questionnaire that included demographic measures and psychometric scales (Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Resilience Scale). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, resilience scores remained significantly higher among fathers in the perinatal period compared to those outside this period (p = .025). Conversely, no significant differences were observed for other psychometric measures (depression, anxiety, alcohol consumption or exposure to adverse childhood experiences) (p > .05). Moderate levels of anxiety were present in both groups. This study underscores the potential importance of better addressing fathers' mental health during the perinatal period. The findings suggest the value of continuous and tailored psychological support for fathers throughout their parenting journey. In this context, assessing resilience could represent a potentially useful avenue for prevention and psychological monitoring, although this needs to be confirmed in other studies. Further research is needed to better understand the evolution of paternal mental health over time.