Article summary with Paternal depression in the postnatal period and child development: a prospective population study by Ramchandani et al. - 2005

What is the importance of studying paternal depression of new fathers?

A lot is known about maternal depression and its effect on young children, but not much is known about paternal depression. Depression in a parent can have adverse effects on the development of young children, among other things by interfering with the ability to provide responsive parenting. It is becoming more clear that the role of the father is very important in the upbringing of children. It appears that in the case of paternal depression, the effects are especially notable in boys.

How does paternal depression in the postnatal period affect child development?

The results of the study done by Ramchandani et al. (2005) can be summarized as follows:

• Children of fathers who have depression during the postnatal period are at increased risk of behavioral problems at age 3 to 5, even after controlling for maternal depression and other factors.
• The increased risk remains after controlling for later paternal depression. This suggests that paternal depression in the early months of a child’s life might be a particular risk factor for adverse development.
• The association between paternal depression and child behavior problems is stronger in boys than in girls.

What are possible theoretical explanations for these results?

First, paternal depression may have a direct effect on the way fathers interact with their children. An effect on early interactions may itself lead to an increased risk for adverse development in the children. Second, this association may be due to indirect effects. For example, paternal depression can be linked to marital conflict which in turn has been linked to behavioral problems in children. Third, there may be genetic factors at play. Fourth, there may be child-to-parent effects. Early differences in the child before the onset of paternal depression could have increased the risk of depression in the father.

How did the association between depression in mothers and behavioral and emotional problems in their children differ from that seen with depression in fathers?

Firstly, an effect was seen across all the domains of child emotional and behavioral functioning. Secondly, there was no difference in the magnitude of effects seen in boys or girls.

Why is the effect of paternal depression different on sons than on daughters?

It is possible that boys are especially sensitive to the effects of parenting by fathers because of differential involvement by fathers with their sons. Also, boys may be more vulnerable than girls to a range of adverse parental influences, including paternal depression.