Prevalence of Paternal Depression during pregnancy period : A Cross - Sectional Study

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness and lost of interest or pleasure in activities. Depression during pregnancy also known as antenatal depression, refers to the occurrence of depressive symptoms in expectant mothers. Paternal depression is a condition that effects the mood of fathers that can lead to irritability insecurity consistent breakdown and crying episode. This study is to analyse the prevalence of paternal depression during pregnancy period. The depressive symptoms are analyzed by using BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) scale, consist of 21 questions related to mood, cognition and physical symptoms. The scope of this research article to analyse the occurrence of depressive symptoms in expecting fathers and to determine the associated factors regard to it. The study was conducted at KM Cherian Institute of Medical Sciences, Chengannur in expecting fathers who accompany their pregnant spouse for routine checkup. The sample size was 40. The plan of study was cross- sectional study by consecutive sampling at the data collecting time. The data was collected by using a self structured data collection form and analysed the condition by BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) Scale. The analysis revealed several significant associations between various factors and the likelihood of moderate to severe paternal depression during the pregnancy period. For participants aged over 30, the odds of experiencing moderate to severe depression were 9.33 times higher compared to those aged 30 or younger (OR = 9.33, 95% CI: 1.90-70.65, p=0.012). Participants with an income of 4 lakh INR or below had 6.87 times higher odds of moderate to severe depression than those earning more (OR = 6.87, 95% CI: 1.48- 50.26, p=0.025). The odds of moderate to severe depression were also elevated for those married for more than 3 years (OR = 4.22, 95% CI: 1.11-18.83, p=0.042). Additionally, unplanned pregnancies were strongly associated with increased odds of moderate to severe depression, with affected participants showing 11.67 times higher odds than those with planned pregnancies (OR = 11.67, 95% CI: 2.51-86.19, p=0.005). These findings suggest that age, income, marriage duration, and pregnancy planning status are significant predictors of paternal depression severity. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of research on paternal mental health, a relatively underexplored area within prenatal care. By identifying specific risk factors, it opens avenues for developing tailored interventions that address the unique challenges faced by expectant fathers.The findings suggest that mental health professionals should develop targeted interventions focusing on financial stress, pregnancy planning, and emotional support to mitigate the risk of paternal depression.