Men who were stressed or in poor health show high symptoms of depression when their partners become pregnant and nine months after the birth of their child, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Jama Psychiatry.
Researchers at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, studied the symptoms of prenatal (before birth) depression and the symptoms of depression postnatal (after birth) in 3,523 men who were surveyed while their partner was in the third trimester of pregnancy and nine months after the birth of their child. The men had an average age of 33 years at the antenatal interview.
Pregnancy upsets stressed men
The authors report that 2.3% of fathers were affected by high prenatal depression during the pregnancy of their partner, and 4.3% of expectant dads reported depression nine months after childbirth.
The study found that symptoms of depression in men during pregnancy were associated with a stress perceived and poor health. While the high symptoms of depression in fathers after childbirth were associated with perceived stress during pregnancy and lack of relationship with the mother.
“It is relatively recent that the influence of fathers on children has been recognized as essential for psychosocial and cognitive development. Since paternal depression can have direct or indirect effects on children, it is important to recognize and treat symptoms early. The first step is probably to educate fathers about the increased risks, ”concludes Lisa Underwood of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, author of the study.
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