The literature review examines the findings of recent studies regarding fatherhood in the context of maternal postpartum depression. The studies on this theme demonstrate strong negative association between maternal postpartum depression and the quality of marital relationship, emotional support offered by the father and his involvement in taking care of the baby and in domestic work. They have also shown that the father can reduce the impact of maternal depression on children if he is involved and mentally healthy, although there are few studies describing how fathers participate in these families. The literature also shows that husbands of depressive women are in a risk situation for the development of psychopathology, suggesting that the clinical interventions in this context should also focus on family relationships.
fatherhood; postpartum depression; baby