July 08, 2025 | News | Recommended Reading

How is Depression Linked to Childlessness?

Own depression, partner's depression, and childlessness: A nationwide register-based study

In a paper published in November, Sanna Kailaheimo-Lönnqvist, Mikko Myrskylä, and colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) and University of Helsinki examined the relationship between depression, as measured by antidepressant use, and childlessness. Using Finnish total population register data for cohorts born between 1977 and 1980, they found a positive association between depression and childlessness.

The annual probability of having a child was 1.6 percentage points lower for men with depression. © istockphoto.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

• Current partnership status partly explains the association.
• Both own and a partner's depression are positively related to childlessness.
• The likelihood of being childless is higher is both partners have depression

The researchers found that depression predicts childlessness. The annual probability of having a child was 2.7 percentage points lower for women with depression and 1.6 percentage points lower for men with depression, compared to those who did not have depression. After controlling for background variables such as education, the likelihood of having a child was found to be 1.9 percentage points lower for women with depression and 0.3 percentage points lower for men. Part of the association was explained by partnership status, in particular for men: depression is linked with lower likelihood of having a partner, which then increases childlessness.

© MPIDR

Overall, 41% of men and 26% of women who had depression between the ages of 18 and 38 were childless by the age of 39, compared to 30% of men and 22% of women who did not have depression. The prevalence of childlessness was notably high when both partners had depression. Thus, the accumulation of depression within couples appears to be an important factor in the likelihood of having a child.

This study on depression and childlessness highlights the need for improved support systems for individuals with depression. The researchers show that the consequences of depression should be examined from a broader view by including the individual's partnership history and possible partner's characteristics. When supporting individuals to have their desired number of children, professionals should have a wider focus on individuals' lives and not focus only on single aspects, as this study clearly shows.

Original Publication

Kailaheimo-Lönnqvist, S., Moustgaard, H., Martikainen, P., Myrskylä, M.: Own depression, partner's depression, and childlessness: A nationwide register-based study. Social Science & Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117356

Keywords

Depression, Childlessness, Mental Health, Finland