The effects of paternal perinatal depression on socioemotional and behavioral development of children: A meta-analysis of prospective studies

Abstract

A meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the literature concerning the effects of paternal perinatal depression (PPND) on socioemotional and behavioral development in children. We assessed the literature using searches in PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Embase from inception to November 2019 and supplemented it by manual searches. Two authors independently selected the eligible studies and extracted data, and three authors assessed the quality of the studies. To explore the effects of PPND on a child's socioemotional and behavioral development, a random-effects meta-analysis was conducted, followed by the construction of a funnel plot. Nine studies were included for review. The pooled odds ratio (OR) of behavioral problems in children with PPND as compared to non-PPND was 1.209 (95% CI: 1.137-1.285), the pooled OR of emotional problems in children with PPND was 1.265 (95% CI: 1.180-1.356), and the pooled OR of social functions in children with PPND was OR=1.299 (95% CI: 0.972-1.736). PPND may play a significant role in adversely impacting the emotional and behavioral development in children during early childhood. Thus, interventions for PPND should be initiated to make up the negative effect of PPND on a child's emotional and behavioral development.

Keywords: Behavioral development; Child; Paternal perinatal depression; Socioemotional development.