Postpartum Depression: A Risk for New Dads, Too

(Page 2)

"Factors of this nature certainly can affect fathers, and they probably do in many families," he added.

For the study, parents completed questionnaires and were interviewed to determine whether they showed symptoms of depression. Researchers also probed parent-child interactions, such as reading, telling stories, and singing songs -- acts considered critically important for positive child development.

Depression in either parent was associated with reduced interaction, Paulson noted, and "fathers with greater levels of depression interacted with their child less."

Goodman said the research highlights a link between maternal and paternal postpartum depression (PPD), "such that men whose partners are distressed are at significantly higher risk of experiencing PPD themselves."

Yet postpartum paternal depression typically isn't on clinicians' radar, she conceded, and men often have less contact with health-care providers than women do.

However reluctant they may be to seek help, it's important for new dads who are experiencing symptoms of depression to see their primary-care provider or a mental-health specialist for evaluation and treatment, Goodman said.

"One important implication for clinicians is, if a woman is identified as depressed during the postpartum period, to ask the father how he's doing and to screen for depression in him," she added.

More information

Visit Mental Health America for more on postpartum depression.