From attachment to well-being: An examination of father-infant attachment, parental mental health, and relationship satisfaction

Abstract

Aims: Father-infant attachment impacts children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development in the early childhood. The present study examined the relationship between father-infant attachment and parental mental health, including depression and anxiety, along with relationship satisfaction and mother-infant attachment. Methods: This cross-sectional study included parents of children aged 3 to 12 months. We administered the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Couple Satisfaction Index-4, Postnatal Paternal-Infant Attachment Questionnaire (PPAQ), and Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI) to the participants. Results: A total of 66 father-mother dyads from İstanbul, Türkiye, participated in the study. The median age was 31.0 (25.0-39.0) years in mothers, 33.0 (26.0-47.0) years in fathers, and 8.0 (3.0-12.0) months in infants. Mothers showed significantly higher EPDS and BAI scores than fathers [9.0 (1.0-20.0) vs. 4.0 (1.0-16.0), p<0.001]. We observed a weak but significant positive correlation between the MAI score and the “affection and pride” subscale of the PPAQ score (r=0.260, p=0.035). Paternal EPDS scores positively correlated with paternal BAI (r=0.599, p<0.001), maternal EPDS (r=0.279, p=0.023), and maternal BAI (r=0.283, p=0.021) scores. Relationship satisfaction showed a negative correlation with maternal and paternal depression (r=-0.357, p=0.003, and r=-0.541, p<0.001, respectively) and anxiety (r=-0.310, p=0.011 and r=-0.374, p=0.002, respectively) scores. Conclusions: Although we observed no direct association between father-infant attachment and parental mental health or relationship satisfaction, the weak association between mother-infant and father-infant attachment highlights the need for family-centered support. Future research is warranted to explore the complex relationships in the postpartum period to develop effective strategies.