Dads can get pre- and post-natal depression too, according to data from a New Zealand longitudinal study.
Research from the University of Auckland’s Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study, published today in JAMA Psychiatry, found about one in 25 of the men studied reported symptoms of postnatal depression and on in 50 reported antenatal depression only.
By comparison, more mothers suffered depression symptoms before the birth of their children – one in eight reported antenatal symptoms and one in 12 reported postnatal, though these were not always the same mothers.
Study author Dr Lisa Underwood said that while maternal antenatal and postnatal depression are known to be associated with poor outcomes for women and children, there has been little work to identify perinatal depression symptoms in men.
Growing Up in New Zealand is a longitudinal study following more than 6000 children born in 2009 and 2010 – their families have been studied since the babies were in gestation.
The research findings have been covered extensively in NZ and international media:
Radio NZ: Dads suffer post natal depression too – study
Stuff.co.nz: Fathers are prone to postnatal depression – study
Newshub: 1 in 25 Kiwi dads suffering pre- or post-natal depression
Newstalk ZB: Dads also prone to post-natal depression, research finds
NZ Herald: NZ study: Dads get the baby blues, too
TVNZ: Dads can also suffer from new baby depression – study
CNN: New dads risk depression too, study says
STAT: Dads, like moms, are at risk of depression after a child’s birth, researchers report
TLE: Could dads also suffer from postnatal depression?
The Sun: DADDY BLUES Stress of a new baby puts DADS at risk of the baby blues too, experts warn
LiveScience: Depression Can Affect New Fathers, Too