The Impact of the New Families Home Visiting Program on Depressive Symptoms Among Norwegian Fathers Postpartum: A Nonrandomized Controlled Study
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https://hdl.handle.net/10037/35069Date
2024-07-30Type
Journal articleTidsskriftartikkel
Peer reviewed
Author
Solberg, Beate; Hagen, Milada; Berg, Rigmor; Glavin, Kari; Brekke, Malene; Sæther, Kristin Marie; Øygarden, Anne-Martha Utne; Olsvold, NinaAbstract
Becoming a parent is a vulnerable life transition and may affect parents’ mental health. Depressive symptoms may occur
in fathers, as well as mothers, during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The health service is expected to have a
family perspective, aiming to support both parents. Despite this goal, mothers traditionally receive more support than
fathers. Home visiting programs may provide enhanced guidance for new fathers and increased mental health support.
The aim of this study was therefore to assess possible differences in level of depressive symptom in fathers receiving the
New Families home visiting program compared with those receiving standard care from the Norwegian Child Health
Service. A prospective nonrandomized controlled study with a parallel group design was performed. The Edinburg
Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to measure depressive symptoms in fathers (N = 197) at 28 weeks of their
partners’ pregnancy (T1), at 6 weeks (T2), and 3 months postpartum (T3), in the intervention and the control group.
The results indicate a prevalence of depressive symptoms (EPDS score 10) in Norwegian fathers of 3.1% at T1, 3.9%
at T2, and 2.2% at T3 for the full sample. No significant EPDS score differences were found between the intervention
and the control group at six weeks and three months postpartum. This suggests that the intervention had no clear
impact on depressive symptoms during this time-period.
Publisher
SageCitation
Solberg, Hagen, Berg, Glavin, Brekke, Sæther, Øygarden, Olsvold. The Impact of the New Families Home Visiting Program on Depressive Symptoms Among Norwegian Fathers Postpartum: A Nonrandomized Controlled Study. American Journal of Men's Health. 2024Metadata
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