Importance: This systematic review and meta-analysis comprehensively synthesizes the extant literature on the association of paternal perinatal mental distress (ie, depression, anxiety, and stress) with offspring development from birth to adolescence.

Objective: To provide a meta-analytic synthesis of the literature on the association between paternal perinatal depression, anxiety, and stress and offspring development during the first 18 years of life.

Data sources: We searched MEDLINE Complete, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL Complete, and the gray literature for studies published up to November 2024.

Study selection: Inclusion criteria included availability in English, a human sample, quantitative data, longitudinal design, and having a measure of paternal perinatal mental distress and offspring development.

Data extraction and synthesis: Of the 9572 studies identified, 48 cohorts (from 84 studies) with 674 effect sizes met criteria for quantitative synthesis (including 286 unpublished associations sourced from doctoral theses or through contact with authors of eligible studies). Univariate random-effects models were used to quantitatively synthesize the associations between paternal perinatal mental distress and offspring development. Study quality was assessed using the US National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool for observational, cohort, and cross-sectional studies. Data analysis was completed in January 2025.

Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcomes were global, social-emotional, adaptive, cognitive, language, physical, and motor development in offspring in the first 18 years of life.

Results: Paternal perinatal mental distress was associated with poorer global (r = -0.12; 95% CI, -0.22 to -0.01), social-emotional (r = 0.09; 95% CI, 0.07-0.11), cognitive (r = -0.07; 95% CI, -0.13 to -0.01), language (r = -0.15; 95% CI, -0.25 to -0.05), and physical development (r = 0.04; 95% CI, 0.00-0.08) in offspring. No evidence was found for adaptive and motor outcomes. Associations were generally stronger for postnatal than antenatal mental distress, suggesting that a father's mental state may exert a more direct influence on the developing child after birth.

Conclusions and relevance: Evidence from this systematic review and meta-analysis indicates that paternal mental distress is a potentially modifiable predictor of child development. Reducing mental distress in fathers perinatally is thus an important target for preventative interventions aiming to support fathers during the transition to parenthood and promote the health and well-being of next-generation offspring.

重要性: 这项系统综述和元分析全面总结了有关父亲围产期心理困扰（包括抑郁、焦虑和压力）与后代从出生到青春期发展关系的现有文献。

目的: 为了提供关于父亲围产期抑郁、焦虑和压力与后代在前18年生活中发展的关联的元分析综合文献。

数据来源: 我们检索了MEDLINE Complete、Embase、PsycINFO、CINAHL Complete以及灰色文献，寻找截至2024年11月发表的研究。

研究选择: 纳入标准包括：英文撰写、人类样本、定量数据、纵向设计，并且有父亲围产期心理困扰和后代发展的衡量指标。

数据提取与综合: 在9572项已识别的研究中，48个队列（来自84项研究）的674个效应量符合定量综合的标准（其中包括从博士论文或通过联系符合条件的研究作者获得的286个未发表关联）。使用单变量随机效应模型来量化合成父亲围产期心理困扰与后代发展的关联。使用美国国立卫生研究院的质量评估工具对观察性、队列和横断面研究进行质量评估。数据分析于2025年1月完成。

主要结果和测量: 主要结果是后代在前18年内整体发展、社会情感发展、适应能力、认知能力、语言能力和身体发展的表现。

结果: 父亲围产期心理困扰与后代的整体（r = -0.12；95% CI，-0.22至-0.01）、社会情感（r = 0.09；95% CI，0.07-0.11）、认知（r = -0.07；95% CI，-0.13至-0.01）、语言（r = -0.15；95% CI，-0.25至-0.05）和身体发展（r = 0.04；95% CI，0.00-0.08）较差有关。没有证据显示适应能力和运动能力的结果。总体而言，产后心理困扰与围产期心理困扰的关联更强，表明父亲的心理状态可能在孩子出生后对孩子的发育产生更直接的影响。

结论和相关性: 来自这项系统综述和元分析的证据表明，父亲的心理困扰可能是儿童发展的潜在可改变预测因素。因此，在父亲过渡到父母角色期间支持他们并减少其围产期心理困扰，是促进下一代后代健康与福祉的重要预防干预目标。