Validation of the French Version of the Perinatal Assessment of Paternal Affectivity (PAPA)

The transition to parenthood is a critical period for both the woman and her partner, and this can affect the mental health of the parents. Like mothers, fathers are at risk of stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder during the perinatal period.

Existing screening or diagnostic tools have been developed on the basis of traditional depressive symptoms expressed by women. However, the manifestations of perinatal mental disorders appear to be different in men. It is therefore essential to develop tools that are sensitive and specific to both gender and the perinatal period in order to increase the sensitivity and specificity of screening for fathers.

In France, to the best of the knowledge of the investigators, there is no validated tool in French to assess paternal psychological disorders, either prenatally or postnatally. Baldoni et al. had validated a brief self-report questionnaire, the " Perinatal Assessment of Paternal Affectivity " (PAPA), to screen for perinatal signs and symptoms of paternal affective disorder, using a gender-sensitive approach.

The aim of this study is to cross-cultural adapt the PAPA in French and to evaluate its psychometric properties.

This validation of the French-PAPA would provide a simple tool, easy to use in everyday practice, to detect any signs or symptoms of paternal psychopathological distress in the pre- and postnatal period.