Many people know about postpartum depression in mothers. But fathers can struggle too. A 2025 JAMA article says paternal perinatal depression affects about 10% of fathers worldwide. It means depressive symptoms that start during a partner’s pregnancy or in the baby’s first year of life. (jamanetwork.com)
The newest big study on this topic was published in JAMA Network Open on March 23, 2026. Researchers used Swedish national data from 1,096,198 fathers linked to 1,915,722 births between 2003 and 2021. They found that fathers were diagnosed with mental disorders less often during pregnancy and soon after birth. However, near the end of the first year after birth, diagnoses of depression and stress-related disorders were more than 30% higher than in the year before pregnancy. This suggests that some fathers may start to feel worse when their baby is close to 1 year old, not only right after birth. (jamanetwork.com)
Why can this happen? Experts say new fathers may face poor sleep, money worries, pressure at home, and stress in their relationship. The signs are not always simple sadness. Fathers may also feel angry, irritated, very tired, or lose interest in things they liked before. Some may spend too much time working, looking at screens, or using alcohol or drugs. (jamanetwork.com)
This is important because a father’s mental health can affect the whole family. JAMA says paternal depression can make bonding with the baby harder, increase stress in the relationship, and is linked with higher risk of problems in children’s emotions and behavior. A 2025 meta-analysis also found that fathers’ depression, anxiety, and stress around pregnancy and birth were linked with child development, and the links were generally stronger after birth than during pregnancy. (jamanetwork.com)
So, if a father feels down when the baby is 6, 9, or even 12 months old, he is not “too late.” It is still important to ask for help. Support from family, friends, a doctor, therapy, or a fathers’ group can make a real difference. (jamanetwork.com)










