Kids Exposed To Paternal Depression May Have Behavioural Issues: Study

New York: A team of researchers at Rutgers University in the US has found that five-year-olds exposed to paternal depression are more likely to have behavioural issues in grade school.

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Kristine Schmitz, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), together with other researchers from RWJMS and from Princeton and Rider universities, reported that children exposed to paternal depression when entering kindergarten are far more likely to have teacher-reported behavioural difficulties and poor social skills at age 9.

“We need to consider depression in both parents, not just mothers,” said Schmitz. “Depression is treatable, and to support the whole family, paediatricians must start talking with dads about it and developing father-focused interventions that meet their needs.” On average, between 8 per cent and 13 per cent of fathers in the United States will be affected by some form of depression during their child’s early years, and the prevalence increases to 50 per cent when the mother is also experiencing postpartum depression.