Paternal postpartum depression in Suzhou: An analysis of prevalence and risk factors

doi:10.5498/wjp.119221

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World Journal of Psychiatry

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2220-3206

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2026; 16(7): 119221
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.119221

Paternal postpartum depression in Suzhou: An analysis of prevalence and risk factors

Xiu-Xia Wang, Li-Hong Chao, Cai-Fang Ji, Hong-Juan Li

Xiu-Xia Wang, Li-Hong Chao, Cai-Fang Ji, Hong-Juan Li, Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China

Co-first authors: Xiu-Xia Wang and Li-Hong Chao.

Co-corresponding authors: Cai-Fang Ji and Hong-Juan Li.

Author contributions: Wang XX designed the study, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Chao LH and Ji CF performed the primary literature and data extraction; Li HJ was responsible for revising the manuscript for important intellectual content; Wang XX and Chao LH contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors; Ji CF and Li HJ contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-corresponding authors. All the authors read and approved the final version.

AI contribution statement: ChatGPT was used solely for language polishing and grammar correction. No other AI tools (e.g., DeepL, Grammarly) were used. No part of the main text (abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and conclusion) was fully or partially AI-generated. All scientific content was written, revised, and finalized exclusively by the authors. AI tools (only ChatGPT) were used only for language polishing and translation assistance. No AI tools were used for data analysis, statistical processing, or writing of scientific content. The study design, data analysis, statistical interpretation, and result discussion were performed exclusively by the authors. No AI tools participated in these processes. All images, tables, and figures in the manuscript were created by the authors using standard scientific software (SPSS, GraphPad Prism, Microsoft Office).

Supported by Suzhou Key Supported Medical Discipline Project, No. SZFCXK202103; and Suzhou Gusu Health Talent Program Project, No. GSWS2022093.

Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Suzhou Guangji Hospital.

Informed consent statement: All study participants and their legal guardians provided written informed consent before they participated in the study.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.

Data sharing statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Corresponding author: Hong-Juan Li, Chief Nurse, Department of Psychiatry, Suzhou Guangji Hospital, No. 11 Guangqian Road, Xiangcheng District, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China. 13182610122@163.com

Received: January 29, 2026
Revised: February 26, 2026
Accepted: March 25, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 148 Days and 12.2 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression (PPD) in women has long been a focus of public health concern. With rapid societal changes, accelerated pace of life, two-child policy, and rising childcare costs, paternal PPD among new fathers is increasingly recognized. However, its incidence and associated factors in Suzhou remain understudied. We hypothesized that paternal PPD is prevalent in Suzhou and linked to specific sociodemographic and psychosocial factors.

AIM

To investigate the incidence and risk factors of paternal PPD among fathers in Suzhou.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in five districts and counties of Suzhou. A total of 621 husbands of parturient were enrolled using convenience sampling. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was adopted to assess their depressive status. Data on risk factors were collected using the participants’ general condition questionnaire, neonatal general condition questionnaire, parturient general condition questionnaire, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and Social Support Rating Scale. Statistical analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of paternal PPD.

RESULTS

Among 621 participants, the prevalence of paternal PPD was 13.69%. Univariate analysis showed significant associations of PPD with personal factors of husband such as place of birth, marital satisfaction and an urge to vent emotions towards the baby; with neonatal factors such as sex and congenital abnormalities; with spouse factors such as whether this pregnancy resulted in a fetus, living conditions, expectation regarding the baby’s sex, marital satisfaction and caregivers during pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified several significant independent factors associated with the outcome. These included place of residence, living condition, educational level, marital satisfaction, marital satisfaction of spouse, caregivers during pregnancy, pregnancy protection, expectation of baby’s sex, and subjective social support.

CONCLUSION

Paternal PPD has a moderate incidence in Suzhou. Its key risk factors require attention to formulate targeted preventive measures.

Keywords: Paternal postpartum depression; Incidence; Risk factors; Suzhou; Fathers; Cross-sectional study

Core Tip: Postpartum depression in fathers is a critical factor affecting perinatal family mental health, yet its prevalence and specific determinants among new fathers in Suzhou have not been fully clarified. This cross-sectional study enrolled 621 husbands of parturient from five districts and counties of Suzhou. We systematically investigated the incidence of paternal postpartum depression and its associated factors using standardized scales and statistical analyses. The study provided reliable evidence to guide the development of targeted prevention and intervention strategies, thereby helping to improve the mental health status of families during the perinatal period.