The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Postpartum depression in fathers: paternity leave reduces the risks

2023-01-04T11:53:01.206Z


Taking two weeks of paternity leave reduces the risk of postpartum depression, which affects 8 to 10% of men, according to an Inserm study. With positive consequences, too, for mothers and children.


This is an additional argument in favor of paternity leave.

Taking two weeks off to welcome your child reduces the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) in the father, which affects 8 to 10% of men worldwide, according to an Inserm study published on Wednesday. January 4 and conducted before the extension of paternity leave, from 14 to 28 days, seven of which are compulsory.

Read alsoThe new fathers: these men who do not want to earn more money, but more time with their children

Conducted on a cohort of more than 10,000 heterosexual couples, this study reveals that 5.7% of men who have not taken paternity leave have postpartum depression, compared to 4.5% of those who have used it for two months. after the birth of their child, and 4.8% of those who plan to use their leave.

Development of the child, sharing of domestic tasks throughout life, well-being of mothers, gender equality in terms of employment and career... To these many benefits, known and documented, of paternity leave comes therefore add its positive impact in terms of mental health.

Read alsoHortense de Roux: “There are men for whom it is heavy to be in a male posture”

A negative impact on mothers

But a paradoxical phenomenon is emerging: women whose husbands take parental leave have an increased risk of experiencing postpartum depression.

16.1% of them have PPD, compared to 15.3% of those whose partner has not taken paternity leave.

How to explain it?

“It is possible that fathers whose partner is more at risk of depression take paternity leave more willingly, deciphers Maria Melchior, director of research at Inserm.

Our findings, however, underscore the importance that father-targeted family policies can have for parental mental health, as they can advance gender equality in the labor market and increase fathers' participation in the family sphere. .”

Read alsoVirginie Courtin, CEO of Clarins: “I believe in taking time with your children before arriving at the office and being very efficient”

On video, 7 good reasons not to stay at home all day working from home

But the negative impact of paternity leave on the mental health of women raises an additional question: how long must the father be present for his partner to benefit from it?

"The negative association observed in mothers could suggest that a duration of two weeks of paternity leave is not sufficient to prevent postpartum depression in mothers", comments Katharine Barry, Inserm doctoral student at Sorbonne-University. and first author of these works.

Hence the interest, as planned, of continuing research on a new cohort which will have benefited from paternity leave at 28 days.

Source: lefigaro

All business articles on 2023-01-04

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.