This study will investigate the adjustment of men with postpartum depressed partners. Health care in New Zealand emphasises 'community care' with limited use of hospitalisation and individuals remaining in the family context wherever possible. For partners of women with postpartum depression this may lead to an expectation of more emotional and practical support in their role as a partner and a new father. However, the impact of both coping with the mother's illness and the experience of becoming a father are important to assess because it may affect the level of support the partner can provide.

Research investigating the impact of postpartum depression on male partners suggest that after the birth of a child men with depressed partners are significantly more likely to experience higher levels of psychological symptoms compared with men with partners who are not depressed.

This cross sectional study will measure depression, anxiety symptoms, alcohol use and the general medical health of new fathers. The study group (n = 82) will consist of new fathers with female partners who are presenting with postpartum depression and will be recruited from the Wellington Maternal Mental Health Service and The Plunket Society (Wellington Region). A comparison group (n = 82) will be recruited from Plunket and will consist of new fathers with non-depressed postpartum partners. The quality of social support, social problems, marital satisfaction and the infants perceived temperament will be investigated as possible factors associated with heightened psychological adjustment difficulties. In addition, past psychiatric history, recent negative life events and the father's relationship to his own parents when young will be measured as possible risk factors for developing adjustment difficulties. The emotional climate of the spousal relationship will also be assessed through measuring Expressed Emotion and the relationship of this variable with marital satisfaction and psychological adjustment difficulties will be analysed.

The preliminary results of this study will be presented.