Fathers also experience depression during pregnancy, says study
Posted on: 22/Feb/2017 6:27:29 PM
Researchers from the University of Auckland have said that some men also experience depression during and after their female partners` pregnancies. The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Say the researchers, In the study of almost 4,000 men, about 6 percent had elevated depression symptoms at some point during their partners` pregnancies or the nine months after the birth. I think it’s important for couples to be aware that either of them can be depressed and they should be seeking help and seeking support. Pregnancy and childbirth may put men at an increased risk of depression, though research typically focuses on women, who are at an increased risk of depression during pregnancy and after childbirth. Still, past research also links depressed fathers to emotional and behavioral problems among children. During the study, we found that 2.3 percent of fathers had elevated symptoms of depression while their female partners were pregnant. During the postnatal period, 4.3 percent of fathers had elevated depression symptoms after childbirth. We can`t say whether symptoms of depression cause poor health and other issues, or vice versa. It definitely points to the fact that we need to be giving couples more support.
According to experts, Depression should raise flags about those other health concerns. People should also think of depression`s influence on the entire family. There are a lot of treatments for this. We’ve been dealing with depression for a long time. While we don’t have tailored treatments for paternal depression, we do have interventions for depression and those are effective. We know that either parent`s mental wellbeing impacts on the other, the relationship and family, Underwood said. Sometimes people may feel guilty seeking treatments when they just had a baby come into their lives. Consider seeking treatment for yourself as a way to treat the system that includes your child.
