Dad's 'baby-blues' can lead to emotional stress in teenage daughters: Study
Post-natal depression in fathers is linked to emotional problems for their teenage daughters, a study has found. Almost one in 20 new fathers suffered depression in the weeks after their child was born, according to the study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The study, based on a sample of over 3,000 families in Bristol, UK, also identified a link between post-natal depression in men and depression in their daughters as they reached adulthood . At 18, girls whose fathers had experienced depression after their birth were themselves at greater risk of the condition, said Professor Paul Ramchandani from the University of Cambridge in the UK. The "small but significant" increased risk applied only to daughters; sons were not affected, said Ramchandani. One reason for this "handing on" effect could be that post-natal depression in fathers is sometimes linked with an increased level of maternal depression, researchers said. Read More