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Dads’ Depression Linked to Kids’ Behavior Problems
Depression inِ fathers isِ strongly linked toِ behavioral problems inِ their children, a newِ study suggests.
While 6 percent ofِ children withِ non-depressed parents hadِ behavior problems, 11 percent ofِ children withِ a depressed father did, according toِ theِ study.
There areِ countless articles onِ the effect ofِ depression andِ other mental health problems inِ mothers onِ children, butِ this isِ virtually theِ firstِ paper thatِ we areِ aware ofِ that hasِ looked atِ similar effects inِ fathers, saidِ study author Dr.
The study was published online today (Nov. 7) in the journal Pediatrics.
A growing problem
The recession, unemployment, returning veterans, mayِ allِ affect adults mental health, andِ therefore affect children, Weitzman told MyHealthNewsDaily.
The researchers examined data onِ 22,000 children living inِ two-parent households (biological, adoptive andِ step parents wereِ allِ included).
The data wereِ collected duringِ the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a government study conducted fromِ 2004 toِ 2008 inِ which trained interviewers visited homes andِ asked anِ adult aboutِ the health ofِ the household.
And children’s behavior problems can cause stress, and affect the mindset of the parents.
Psychology recognized years agoِ that youِ reallyِ needِ to haveِ the arrow goingِ in bothِ directions, saidِ Sherryl Hope Goodman, a professor ofِ psychology atِ Emory University.
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Treat the parent, help the child
While theِ study sheds light onِ what mightِ beِ a neglected area ofِ therapy, itِ hadِ some limitations, Goodman said.
The study didِ not connect specific behavior problems inِ children withِ depression inِ fathers, sheِ said, andِ there mayِ haveِ beenِ some reporting bias onِ the part ofِ parents.
It’s important, whetherِ it’sِ the mother orِ the father, toِ considerِ the impact ofِ the parent’s challenges onِ the development ofِ the child, saidِ Raymond Firth, policy initiatives director forِ the University ofِ Pittsburgh’s office ofِ child development.
