Gutierrez-Galve L, et al. - Researchers undertook this cohort study of 3176 father-offspring pairs to investigate the mechanisms of risk transmission from paternal depression during the postnatal period to offspring depression at age 18 years. Findings revealed an association of paternal depression in the postnatal period with offspring depression at age 18 years and that paternal depression may exert its influence on later emotional problems in female children partially through maternal depression. Early conduct disorder in children might be the mechanism of risk transmission. This suggests the potential implication of depression in fathers in the postnatal period for family and child functioning into late childhood and adolescence, hence they recommend it to be addressed in perinatal services, and consider both parents when 1 presents with depression.

• Associations between paternal depression during the postnatal period and offspring depression at age 18 years were assessed via performing this prospective study of a UK community-based birth cohort (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) of parents and their adolescent offspring.
• A hypothesized moderator (ie, sex) was tested and path analysis was conducted to examine hypothesized mediators (ie, depression in the other parent, couple conflict, and paternal involvement and emotional problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity in offspring at age 3.5 years) of the associations between both paternal and maternal depression and offspring depression.
• In 1991, data collection for the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was began and is ongoing.
• From June 2015 to September 2018, they conducted data analysis for this study.
• Exposures included depression symptoms in fathers at 8 weeks after the birth of their children.
• Using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision codes, they assessed offspring depression symptoms at age 18 years as main outcomes and measures.

• Researchers analyzed a total of 3176 father-offspring pairs; of the children, 1764 were girls (55.5%) and 1412 (44.5%) were boys.
• They noted paternal mean (SD) age at delivery of 29.6 (9.6) years.
• Increased risk of experiencing depression symptoms at age 18 years was noted among the offspring of fathers who had depression during the postnatal period (β = 0.053 [95% CI, 0.02-0.09]).
• Maternal depression at 8 months after birth (β = 0.011 [95% CI, 0.0008-0.02]; 21% [0.011/0.053]) and conduct problems at 42 months after birth (β = 0.004; [95% CI , −0.00004 to 0.009]; 7.5% [0.004/0.053]) mediated the association.
• No mediating effect of couple conflict and paternal involvement was noted in this association.
• Girls but not boys displayed the increased risk (interaction β = 0.095; P=.01).