Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Jul;33(7):445-57.
doi: 10.3109/01612840.2012.673054.

Postpartum depression is a family affair: addressing the impact on mothers, fathers, and children

Nicole Lyn Letourneau  1 , Cindy-Lee Dennis, Karen Benzies, Linda Duffett-Leger, Miriam Stewart, Panagiota D Tryphonopoulos, Dave Este, William Watson
Affiliations

Postpartum depression is a family affair: addressing the impact on mothers, fathers, and children

Nicole Lyn Letourneau et al. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2012 Jul.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present research on the effects of postpartum depression (PPD) on mothers, fathers, and children that point to a re-conceptualization of PPD as a mental health condition that affects the whole family. As such, the objectives of this paper are to discuss: (1) the incidence and effects of PPD on mothers and fathers; (2) common predictors of PPD in mothers and fathers, and (3) the effects of PPD on parenting and parent-child relationships, and (4) the effects of PPD on children's health, and their cognitive and social-emotional development. Finally, the implications for screening and intervention if depression is re-conceptualized as a condition of the family are discussed.

PubMed Disclaimer