Men are also at a high risk for depression following the birth of a child, shows new research presented at the American Psychiatric Association meeting in Washington last week.
Analyzing 4,500 new fathers, researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School found that 10 percent of men with a nine-month-old infant suffer clinical depression, compared to just 3 to 5 percent of other men.
A follow-up when the children had reached 24 months showed that depressed fathers were less likely to read to their children, hindering language development. Children from these families were found to use fewer common vocabulary words than children with healthy dads.
Read more: Study: New Dad's Depression Hurts Kids Too
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Thank you very much for this important article, and for bringing attention to this too often over-looked problem.
I wanted to let your readers know that postpartum depression in men is a very treatable condition. For most men, the biggest problem is NOT the depression itself, but the fact that think they should try to go it alone and not get help -- and that's the worst thing they can do. Left untreated, postpartum depression often worsens and can lead to other serious consequences for a man and his family.
I thought your readers might also like to know about a web site for men with postpartum depression: SadDaddy.com. It's the only Internet site specifically for new dads with depression, and includes lots of information, an assessment for new fathers to complete, and an online forum for dads to talk with each other.
Thanks again, and keep up the good work!
Warm wishes,
Dr. Will Courtenay
WillCourtenay.com
Posted by Dr. Will Courtenay | July 4, 2008 6:27 PM
Posted on July 4, 2008 18:27