The impact of childhood maltreatment on paternal antenatal bonding: the mediating role of antenatal depression.

BACKGROUND: As fathers become more involved in pregnancy and early parenting, more research attention has been given to their emotional connection with their unborn child. The transition to fatherhood is a critical developmental phase involving psychological and relational changes that shape paternal identity and bonding with the fetus. However, the factors influencing prenatal father-infant bonding remain unclear. This study examines whether emotional abuse and neglect experienced in childhood impact paternal bonding during pregnancy, and whether antenatal depressive symptoms mediate this relationship. METHODS: A total of 276 expectant fathers completed self-report questionnaires to assess childhood maltreatment (using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CTQ), depressive symptoms (using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS) and paternal antenatal attachment (using the Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale, PAAS). Correlational analyses and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used to examine direct and indirect associations between these variables. RESULTS: Emotional abuse (τ = 0.22, p < .001) and emotional neglect (τ = 0.19, p < .001) were both positively associated with antenatal depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were negatively related to two dimensions of paternal antenatal attachment - attachment quality (τ = -0.20, p < .001) and intensity of concern (τ = -0.12, p = .046). SEM analyses supported a mediation model in which depressive symptoms partially accounted for the link between childhood maltreatment and paternal antenatal attachment. Models including depressive symptoms as a mediator provided a better fit (Model 2 A: RMSEA = 0.04, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.97; Model 2 N: RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.89) than direct-only models (Model 1 A: RMSEA = 0.17, CFI = 0.74, TLI = 0.33; Model 1 N: RMSEA = 0.14, CFI = 0.83, TLI = 0.56). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that emotional neglect and abuse during childhood may hinder expectant fathers' emotional bonding with their unborn child by making them more vulnerable to antenatal depression. Emotional neglect, in particular, emerged as a significant risk factor. These results emphasise the importance of screening expectant fathers for early adversity and depressive symptoms, in order to support paternal engagement and infant well-being.