Fathers who take an extended period of time off work after the arrival of a son or daughter are bolstering their mental health to a much greater degree than if they take just a short break, according to research.
Medical researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have found that fathers who take between 14 and 40 weeks of leave are “significantly less likely to show signs of depression” than fathers who only take up to four weeks.
After tracking over 700 fathers in Sweden over a year and a half, the team concluded that although their study was observational, it appeared that “sustained time at home helps fathers build a closer connection with their child, feel more secure in the parenting role and establish everyday routines” – lowering the likelihood of depression.
The research was published earlier in 2026 in the American Journal Of Public Health alongside a study from a team based at Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, whose analysis showed fathers who took unpaid leave were “58% more likely to report anxiety symptoms compared with dads who took paid leave.”
Others who wanted to take time off work but could not “were more likely to experience symptoms of both depression [and] anxiety,” the United States-based team reported, with financial reasons coming up as the most-cited reason for fathers curtailing their leave time following the birth of a child.
“Bottom line, mental health and paternity leave are linked,” said Craig Garfield, professor of paediatrics and medical social science at Northwestern University and a paediatrician at Lurie.
“Paternal leave is not just a workplace benefit, it’s a public health issue that can deeply impact families and children,” Garfield explained, following an analysis of data covering more than 4,200 dads based in the US state of Ohio.
“Despite increasing recognition of fathers’ roles in early child development, policies and workplace norms often lag in addressing their needs,” Northwestern University said, pointing out that paternal leave has typically been overlooked compared to maternal.
“Equitable paid paternal leave may strengthen mental health, highlighting a public health pathway toward improving father and family well-being,” the team said in their journal paper. – dpa
