Symptoms more likely in men who felt stressed

research typically focused on women, who were at an increased risk of depression during pregnancy and after childbirth.Still, past research has also linked depressed fathers to emotional and behavioural problems among children, the researchers write.

For the new study, the team analysed data collected from the partners of women who took part in the Growing Up in New Zealand study and were due to deliver between April 2009 and March 2010.

The researchers conducted interviews with 3 826 fathers during their female partners’ pregnancies. Another round of interviews were conducted with 3 549 of the fathers about nine months after their children’s birth.

Researchers found that 2.3% of fathers had elevated symptoms of depression while their female partners were pregnant. During the postnatal period, 4.3% of fathers had elevated depression symptoms after childbirth.

The men’s depression symptoms during pregnancy were tied to their being stressed or in poor health. After childbirth, symptoms were more likely in men who felt stressed during the pregnancy, or were no longer in a relationship with the child’s mother, men who rated their health as only fair or poor as well as those who were unemployed or had a history of depression.

Depression should raise flags about other health concerns, said James Paulson, a licensed clinical psychologist.

People should also think of the influence of depression on the entire family, said Paulson, who was not involved with the study.

“There are a lot of treatments for this,” he said. “We have 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.”

Those interventions included medications and psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which can teach people how to address issues in their life that cause or worsen depression.

“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, Paulson said.

“Consider seeking treatment for yourself as a way to treat the system that includes your child,” he said. – Reuters BABY BLUES: Welcom ing a baby in shows.