Postpartum anxiety and depression symptoms in non-birthing parents in Canada: A cross-sectional study

Introduction The postpartum period is a vulnerable time for parents. While the focus of most research is on the birthing parent, evidence of postpartum mental health challenges for fathers and sexual minority parents is lacking. The study objective was to determine the prevalence of postpartum depression and anxiety in non-birthing parents, overall and by on sex, gender, and sexual orientation. Methods An online cross-sectional study was conducted with non-birthing parents from across Canada who had an infant <12 months of age. Recruitment occurred via social media and an online survey company. Parents completed questionnaires, including the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Scores >9 and >10 on the EPDS and GAD, respectively, were considered positive for postpartum depression and anxiety symptoms. T-tests were used to determine if there were differences based on sex, gender, or sexual orientation. Results A total of 133 non-birthing parents participated (54.9% first-time parents, 90.2% fathers). Overall, 56.4% of non-birthing parents had postpartum depression, 23.3% had postpartum anxiety, and 21.8% had comorbid postpartum anxiety and depression. There were no differences based on sex or gender; however, sexual minority parents had a significantly higher prevalence of both postpartum depression (73.3%) and anxiety symptoms (46.7%) than heterosexual parents (52.5% and 16.8%), respectively. Discussion The postpartum mental health of non-birthing parents is of critical concern with 1 in 2 experiencing symptoms of depression and 1 in 4 experiencing symptoms of anxiety. More work is needed to better support these parents during their first year postpartum.