Fathers’ anxiety around birth is linked to mood, support, and partners’ anxiety
A review found different correlates before and after birth, with prenatal anxiety also linked to postnatal anxiety. These relationships do not establish causes or show that support programs work.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Before birth, fathers’ anxiety was associated with more depressive symptoms, less social support, and greater maternal anxiety. After birth, it was associated with earlier paternal anxiety, depressive symptoms after delivery, negative birth memories, and maternal anxiety. The review identifies factors that occur together; it does not show which ones cause anxiety or how best to change them.
The abstract reports directions of associations but no pooled effect sizes, confidence intervals, or follow-up lengths. It therefore cannot show how strong the relationships were or whether they were consistent across studies.
Before and after birth
The researchers asked which factors accompany anxiety in expectant and new fathers outside clinical populations. Their results distinguish the period before birth from the period afterward, rather than treating the entire transition as a single snapshot.
What continuity means
The link between prenatal and postnatal anxiety suggests continuity over time. The authors call for family-focused support, but the findings summarized here do not test whether any particular intervention improves paternal mental health.
The original publication
Correlates of paternal anxiety during the perinatal period: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Sobol M, Mancinelli E, Błachnio A et al.
Public Health · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41579683
- Record checked
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