Introduction

Already in the late ’90s, Kirby Deater‐Deckard (1998) established that parenting stress linked to adult functioning, the quality of the parent-child relationships, and child functioning. Furthermore, research has established a link between postpartum depression and parental stress, concluding that postpartum depression is the most reliable predictor for parental stress (Leigh & Milgrom, 2008).

Many research studies have found that postpartum depression in mothers is common after delivery, with a prevalence rate ranging from 10% to 15%, depending on the criteria used for diagnosis (Brummelte & Galea, 2016; Shorey et al., 2018). Meanwhile, prenatal and postpartum depression was evident in about 10% of men and was relatively higher in the 3- to 6-month postpartum period (Paulson & Bazemore, 2010).

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Prevalence studies on depression following delivery have primarily focused on mothers, and generally on the period of the first year after birth. However, a Swedish study found the prevalence of depressive symptoms, to be 11.3% for the mothers, and 4.9% for the fathers 25 months after childbirth (Johansson, Svensson, Stenström, & Massoudi, 2017).

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Research in postpartum depression and parental stress in fathers showed that fathers are as well as the mothers affected by the same types of mood alteration during the transition to parenthood and that their mental health has a significant impact on the child’s development and the health of the family (Goodman, 2004; Ramchandani, Stein, Evans, & O’Connor, 2005). Especially postpartum depression in fathers has been noted to exacerbate the effects of maternal depression on a child’s behavioural problems (Mezulis, Hyde, & Clark, 2004; Paulson, Dauber, & Leiferman, 2006).

Parental stress defined as psychological distress arising from the demands of bringing up children. While most parents experience some degree of parental stress, some experience in terms of a feeling of significant aversion and negativity towards themselves and their children (Webster-Stratton & Hammond, 1988) marital quality (Kerstis, Engström, Sundquist, Widarsson, & Rosenblad, 2012) the quality of parenting behaviour, and child adjustment (Elgar, Mills, McGrath, Waschbusch, & Brownridge, 2007).

A recent review suggests that the timing of maternal distress (which includes anxiety, stress, or depression) has different consequences for the child’s development (Kingston, Tough, & Whitfield, 2012) and indicates that maternal distress becomes even more critical for the child’s development and social behaviour after the first year (Gjerde et al., 2017; Weissman, 2016). Research in postpartum depression has stated the importance of good mental health in both parents as a prerequisite for the development of good child behaviour and parent-child relationship (Schumacher, Zubaran, & White, 2008; Sroufe, Coffino, & Carlson, 2010).

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Most of the studies conducted internationally and in Sweden have been quantitative and have identified the prevalence of postpartum depression symptoms and risk factors for mothers or fathers postpartum. Risk factors for postpartum depression are problems in the partner relationship, previous depression, stressful life events, and low partner support (Kerstis, 2015; Massoudi, Hwang, & Wickberg, 2016; Paulson & Bazemore, 2010; Psouni, Agebjörn, & Linder, 2017). The studies support the clinical standpoint that advocates the need for identifying and treating postpartum depression in parents of infant children (Brummelte & Galea, 2016).

However, there is a gap in the research, and a lack of scientific studies focuses on both mothers’ and fathers’ experiences of postpartum depression and parental stress.

The study aims are to explore the lived experiences of mothers and fathers of postpartum depression and parental stress after childbirth

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