How a father’s depression can impact a child’s behaviour

Between 8% and 13% of fathers suffer from depression during their child's early years. However, children who grow up with a depressed father are at greater risk of behavioural problems early on in their academic career.These conclusions are drawn from an American study that followed a national birth cohort of 1,422 children to establish an association between children whose fathers showed depressive symptoms at start of kindergarten and behavioural problems at age nine. Children who had been exposed to paternal depression at age five were more likely to exhibit agitation, showed less cooperation and had lower self-esteem. After adjusting for variables, they were also 36% more at risk of oppositional disorder and hyperactivity and 25% more at risk of ADHD.Harsher upbringingThis association could be explained by less involvement in parenting on the part of depressed fathers and less emotional support for the child. Paternal depression was also associated with negative parenting behaviours, including harsher upbringing and corporal punishment. Could a child who already had behavioural problems lead to the development of mental health symptoms in the parents? “It's a hypothesis we can't rule out,” said the authors of the study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.In this study, 9% of fathers (n=122) presented three or more symptoms of dysphoria or anhedonia for a period of at least two weeks in the year preceding their child's entry into kindergarten. In one child out of six, both parents had depressive symptoms. When the child reached the age of nine, the teacher was asked to complete a behavioural assessment questionnaire. The teacher's point of view was prioritized, as it offers an independent, professional perspective on the child's behaviour outside the family environment.Crucial development timeThe researchers targeted the five-to-nine age group as it’s considered a pivotal period in a child's development. Indeed, school behaviour in the pre-adolescent years has an impact on long-term school performance and even on health in adulthood.When fathers' depression in early childhood goes undiagnosed or untreated, the social and behavioural effects on children persist well into their school years.“There is a growing recognition of the need to screen fathers for depression during the perinatal period, but these interventions should be continued beyond this period,” the researchers acknowledged. There is also a need to intervene to support school-aged children exposed to paternal depression. Pediatricians, thanks to their frequent contact with families, would be in a good position to respond to these important needs, they added.Read the study in the the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.This article has been translated from its original French and first appeared on our sister site Profession Santé.

How a father’s depression can impact a child’s behaviour

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