Bidirectional associations between paternal postpartum depression symptoms and coparenting: A cross-lagged panel model of fathers of infants and toddlers

Finding modifiable predictors of paternal depression symptoms is helpful for developing interventions. The aim is to assess the unidirectional and/or bidirectional associations between paternal postpartum depression symptoms and coparenting among fathers of infants and toddlers. Longitudinal data were collected prospectively from 429 fathers of infants aged 0–24 months (median = 8 months) in Sweden, with 6- and 18-month follow-ups. All fathers participated in at least two of three waves of data collection, and multiple imputation was used for missing values. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to detect depression symptoms (≥10 points), while the Brief Coparenting Relationship Scale measured the coparenting relationship. A cross-lagged panel model was used to estimate the associations between paternal depression symptoms and coparenting relationship quality over time, controlling for several known covariates and COVID-19 exposure. Fathers with higher coparenting scores at Time 1 and 2 had less depression symptoms at Time 3, and fathers with more depression symptoms at Time 2 had lower coparenting scores at Time 3. Plotted probabilities of having at least mild depression symptoms revealed a multifold increase in the probability of depression symptoms at Time 3 for fathers with minimal coparenting scores at Times 1 and 2, respectively, compared to fathers with mean coparenting scores at Times 1 and 2, respectively. Causal links cannot be determined using the current non-experimental study design. Using the EPDS alone may have missed some fathers with depression symptoms. Clinicians seeking to reduce paternal depression symptoms should help strengthen the coparenting relationship. •Finding modifiable factors to help reduce paternal postpartum depression benefits the whole family•Cross-lagged panel models showed bidirectional associations between paternal depression symptoms and coparenting•Fathers reporting low coparenting levels are at significantly higher risk of reporting depression symptoms (and vice versa)•Clinicians should support the coparenting relationship to decrease paternal depression in fathers of infants and toddlers