Family expectations reduce the risk of postpartum depression among mothers but not fathers.

Postpartum depression is a common and serious mental health condition affecting both mothers and fathers and is especially common among low-income and racially and ethnically minoritized groups; however, it is significantly undertreated. Birth transitions are well documented as a period of heightened risk for relationship decline, and poor relationship adjustment is a strong risk factor for postpartum depression. Relationship education has consistently been shown to reduce relationship distress, with growing evidence of positive spillover effects on both partners' mental health, making it a promising preventive strategy. It remains unknown whether delivering relationship education to couples during pregnancy can reduce the risk of postpartum depression for mothers and/or fathers. This study addresses this gap using data from a randomized controlled trial of a community-based relationship education program, Family Expectations. Participants were 1,761 individuals (954 couples) with low-income levels who enrolled during pregnancy and provided depressive symptom data at baseline and within 1 year postpartum. At the follow-up, intervention mothers had significantly lower odds of meeting the screening cutoff for postpartum depression compared to control mothers (OR = 0.70; dCox = -0.22). Further, despite the high prevalence of fathers meeting the screening cutoff (27.9%), no significant between-group differences were found. These effects did not differ by levels of prenatal depressive symptoms for either parent. These findings suggest that community-based relationship education programs like Family Expectations have the potential to serve as a complementary approach to promoting maternal mental health alongside other established services. More research is still needed on strategies for fathers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).