When the parents are depressed, the children aren’t happy either.
Help Yourself Out of Depression
1. Begin small and be proud of your each small accomplishment
2. Step outside of the self contained world and talk to someone
3. Try anything that interests you and get involved in it
4. Don’t withdraw into silence, instead listen to or make music
5. No one is going to judge you, so feel free to do something creative
6. Don’t feel self sufficient. Ask for help
7. Sometimes doing something for someone else may be just the ticket to give your self esteem and sense of self worth a boost
Kids whose fathers’ are depressed are more likely to have psychiatric or behavioral disorders. During the study, it was found that the teenage offspring of such fathers have an increased risk of various psychological problems, including depression
and suicidal behavior.
Their observation is in line with other studies that have shown how parental depression can increase the chances of children to have health, emotional and behavioral problems.
Researchers’ Other Findings
Following are the other observations of the researchers:
- The peak age to be affected by psychiatric disorders for men is the same as the peak age for becoming a father, i.e. between 18 to 35 years.
Paternal depression throughout the postnatal period, measured for eight weeks after birth, is linked to increased chances of the child subsequently developing behavioral and emotional problems from 10 percent to 20 percent.
Said one researcher, "In years gone by, if fathers were depressed and distant, it may not have made much of an impact. We now need a more general understanding of what effects psychiatric problems in fathers can have on children."
- The research said that boys in particular could be affected more if their fathers’ are depressed or are alcoholic.
- Around 2 percent of men are affected by anxiety disorder, and children of such parents have a two-fold increased risk of developing such disorders themselves.
- Alcohol is also linked to an increased risk of mood disorders, low self-esteem, depressive symptoms, poor performance at school, and problems forming relationships.
Suggestions to the Problem
The report pointed out that “Rather than treating only the depressed adult, health-care and mental-health professionals should evaluate the fallout of the depression on the entire family, particularly children, and design treatment programs with everyone in mind.”
Committee chair and psychiatrist, Mary Jane England, president of Regis College in Weston, Mass., said, "To break the vicious circle of depression, we need to refocus our view of this illness through a broader lens that sees the whole family, not just the individual with depression."
"Our report describes a new vision for depression care that would provide comprehensive services not just to adults, but to their children as well. It will take significant policy changes to make this vision a reality, but the benefits warrant the effort," she concluded.
Also, to help protect children from the negative impact of parental depression, the report suggested that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should extend Medicaid services for new mothers and fathers to two years after birth, which is a critical period of development.
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