Hispanic men are more likely than non-Hispanic white men to suffer from paternal depression during the first five years of parenthood.
According to research published in the journal Pediatrics, symptoms of depression increased by approximately 68 percent among fathers during the critical first years of child development. Those who experienced parental depression the most frequently were also around 25 years old when they became fathers and lived with their children.
The findings are a reminder that men also experience parental depression, and at surprisingly similar rate compared to new mothers. Paternal depression affects 5 percent to 10 percent of fathers, while about 10 percent to 15 percent of new mothers will experience maternal depression.
“There’s been a significant body of literature describing the effect of mother’s depression on child development, and the health care system has tried to rise to the challenge of identifying mothers with depression,” says Craig Garfield, lead author of the study. “Fathers have not been on the radar screen until recently. Now we know that … right around the time of the birth is an important time to try and capture and screen those dads.”
Previous research from Garfield indicates fathers who are depressed will use more corporal punishment, read less and interact less with their children, and are more likely to be stressed and neglect their children. Consequently, those children are at risk for having poor language and reading development and more behavior problems and conduct disorders.
For Hispanics, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) indicates depression….
http://www.newstaco.com/2014/04/16/dont-forget-about-hispanic-fathers-when-it-comes-to-paternal-depression/
This article was originally published in Saludify.com.
