A recent study spotlights the impacts of mental health issues experienced by men, specifically the fathers of young Massachusetts children…a group that has largely been overlooked in medical research to date.
Statistics have shown that on average, between 8% and 13% of American fathers will be affected by depression during their child’s early years, and that number goes up dramatically to 50% when the mother also has postpartum depression. However, most studies have focused on the mental health of new mothers alone; very few have explored links between fathers’ mental health and how it can impact their children.
In a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers at Rutgers University’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School looked specifically at depression in dads. They found that kindergarten-age children whose fathers have depression are far more likely to have teacher-reported behavioral difficulties and poor social skills years later, at age 9.
“We need to consider depression in both parents, not just mothers,” said Kristine Schmitz, an assistant professor of pediatrics and the study’s lead author. “Depression is treatable … and to support the whole family, pediatricians must start talking with dads about it and developing father-focused interventions that meet their needs.”
Data for the study came from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a national birth cohort that randomly sampled births in 20 large U.S. cities from 1998 to 2000 and continues to track changes in participants’ lives.
Schmitz said several reasons could explain the connection between dads’ depression and children’s behavioral problems. For example, depression has been found to lead to difficulty parenting and less emotional support for the child, as well as conflict or other stress in the home.
“As parents, we can model that when we struggle, we reach out and get help,” she said. “That’s a lesson children will carry for a lifetime.”
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westmagazine.com