Attachment, adaptation and psychopathology in perinatal period: the father’s role.

In the perinatal period, fathers may suffer from affective disorders similar to post-partum depression with a frequency ranging in the world from 2% to 31.3%, with a mean of 10.4 % in 2010 (Paulson, Bazemore, 2010, Baldoni, Ceccarelli, 2010). The clinical expression of Paternal Perinatal Depression (PPND) differs from Maternal Perinatal Depression. In these cases the depressive symptoms are less severe, less definite, and often occur in comorbidity with other disorders whose symptoms could overlap with the affective one causing complicated clinical pictures. In particular anxious disorders, illness behaviour alteration (in particular somatically focused) and behavioural acting outs (aggressiveness, alcoholism, addiction disorders) are frequent. Moreover, in the perinatal period the mother’s and father’s emotional states are linked and empirical research has found a significant correlation between PPD and MPD. In fact, anxious or depressed fathers, or those with behavioural problems, can be a handicap for the emotional equilibrium of their companion and for the good development of the relationship between mother and child. A lack of their “secure base” protective function can foster an affective disorder in the mother and negatively influence the attachment and psychomotor development of the child. Some research data that confirm this hypothesis will be presented, in particular: 1. Fathers whose companions have undergone affective post-partum disorders show anxiety, depressive symptoms, irritability, somatic complaints and worry about their own health and paternal role up to the fifth month of pregnancy (Baldoni, Baldaro, Benassi 2009); 2. During In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer Procedure (IVF-ET), when the male is anxious, depressed or hostile, women manifest more severe affective disorders, anxiety and somatization independently of the success of the procedure (Baldoni et al. 2010); 3. Depression, low dyadic sensitivity and insecure attachment forerunners in fathers influence the development of preterm born children (Baldoni et al. 2012).