title: Depression and anger in fathers of unsettled infants: A community cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between unsettled infant behaviour and fathers' depressive symptoms, cognitions surrounding infant sleep (anger, doubt), and personal sleep, in a community cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 102 fathers of healthy infants at 4 weeks, 4 months and 6 months of age. Measures included father report of infant sleep and crying problems, depressive symptoms, cognitions about infant sleep and own sleep quality and quantity. Data were analysed using adjusted regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sleep problems at 4 months of age were associated with increased depressive symptoms (adjusted mean difference 2.64 (1.27-4.00)), doubt (adjusted mean difference 1.82 (0.40-3.25)), anger (adjusted mean difference 1.86 (0.51-3.20)), poor personal sleep quantity (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.09-0.51) and quality (adjusted OR 0.20; 95% CI 0.08-0.51); and at 6 months of age, with increased depressive symptoms (adjusted mean difference 2.56 (1.28-3.84)), anger (adjusted mean difference 1.63 (0.40-2.87)), poor personal sleep quantity (adjusted OR 0.14; 95% CI 0.05-0.38) and quality (adjusted OR 0.28; 95% CI 0.11-0.72). Infant cry problems at 4 months were associated with increased anger (adjusted mean difference 1.98 (0.60-3.36)) and doubt (adjusted mean difference 1.55 (0.05-3.05)); and at 6 months, with increased depressive symptoms (adjusted mean difference 3.04 (1.59-4.69)), anger (adjusted mean difference 2.73 (1.29-4.17)) and less personal sleep (adjusted OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.07-0.71).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fathers of unsettled infants reported greater anger towards their infant and increased depressive symptoms by 4 months infant age, with these symptoms persisting 2 months later. Evidence-based interventions are needed for these fathers.
authors.affiliation: Parenting Research Centre, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Fallon
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: Parenting Research Centre, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giallo
authors.affiliation: Parenting Research Centre, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Zvezdana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.affiliation: Parenting Research Centre, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.affiliation: Parenting Research Centre, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.affiliation: Parenting Research Centre, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cann
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hiscock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003448:Crying; D003863:Depression; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: anger; crying; depression; fathers; unsettled infant