Impact of postnatal depression on families with children under 5 years in the UK

Background Postnatal depression affects over 1 in 10 women in the UK within a year after giving birth, and can also impact fathers, children and partners. Despite being common, it is often underdiagnosed and can have lasting effects on children's health. This systematic review critically examined previous studies on the impact of postnatal depression in families with children under the age of five in the United Kingdom. This review will add to the existing body of knowledge in the UK on postnatal depression and its effects. Method A comprehensive literature review was conducted to assess the effects of postnatal depression on UK families with children under five. Using the PEO framework, nine peer-reviewed articles from the past decade were selected through strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search process was extensive and used 2 sources EBSCO host and Google scholar. The Caldwell Critical Appraisal Framework guided article selection and quality assessment, with an integrative synthesis approach applied to both qualitative and quantitative studies. Results Nine studies on postnatal depression (PND) mainly involved British mothers over 18, with limited ethnic diversity. Three studies (n = 3) explored maternal PND’s effects on child development, three (n = 3) examined fathers’ emotional well-being, and three (n = 3) compared cultural influences between British and Nigerian mothers. Exposures included maternal and paternal PND, with outcomes like emotional, cognitive, and developmental issues in children, strained family relationships, and socioeconomic effects. Study quality varied: five high, three moderate, and one low. Discussion Postnatal depression negatively affects mothers’ mental health, family relationships, and child interactions. This review found consistent evidence of its harmful impact on UK families with children under five through narrative analysis and highlights the need for more research on these effects to inform future studies and interventions. Other: This study did not source for funding and it was conducted as a partial fulfillment of an award of a master’s degree at the London South Bank University.