In pop culture, dads are often portrayed as strong, sensitive and stoic. But in reality, fathers may struggle with depression – as new research from Rutgers Health shows that when fathers’ depression cannot be diagnosed, it can have long-term effects on children.
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, led by Kristine Schmitz, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, found that children with depression who entered kindergarten were more likely to experience behavioral difficulties and poor social skills at the age of nine.
“We need to consider parents' depression, not just mothers,” Schmitz said.
“Depression is treatable and to support the entire family, pediatricians must start talking about it with dads and develop father-centric interventions to meet their needs.”
American fathers experienced some form of depression in their early years, and this number rose to 50% when the mother also suffered from postpartum depression. However, few studies have explored the effects of father depression.
To address this, Schmitz and colleagues analysed future data from family and child health studies following the national birth cohort. They compared information from 1,422 fathers and their children, assessed the child’s depression symptoms at age five, and conducted teacher-reported behaviors when the children were nine years old.
“The entry of kindergartens is an important development milestone, and the adversity faced at that time may lead to poor engagement and behavior in primary schools, which may persist or amplify in middle and high schools,” he said.
The researchers wrote.
The study found a clear link: children who reported symptoms of depression at the age of five were more likely to show restlessness, anger, resistance and reduced self-esteem until the age of nine.
Schmitz explains that depression can make parenting more difficult and reduce emotional support, while also leading to conflicts at home. This is the first population-based study in the United States that links father’s depression to children’s behavior in schools.
Despite the findings, Schmitz stressed that early intervention can really change. “As parents, we can model as we struggle, we reach out and get help,” she said. “This is a lesson that kids will carry throughout their lives.”
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The post on why dad’s mental health is important to the entire family first appeared in MQ Mental Health Research.
