Dad's mental health affects children too

Dad's mental health affects children too
By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Fathers' mental health problems may take a toll on their children's psychological well-being, particularly that of their sons, a new research review suggests.

The review, published online by The Lancet medical journal, found that when fathers had psychiatric conditions like major depression, drug or alcohol addiction, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), their children were at increased risk of mental health problems.

Boys seemed particularly vulnerable to the effects of their fathers' depression, the study found. Sons of alcoholic fathers were at increased risk of serious behavioral problems and substance abuse.

The findings may not sound surprising, but they shed light on the ways in which fathers' mental well-being affects their children -- a subject that has been much less studied than the role of mothers' mental health, according to the researchers.

"I think the main message is that mental health problems affecting fathers are important, partly because of the impact on the men themselves, but also because they can impact on families, including children," said lead researcher Dr. Paul Ramchandani, of the University of Oxford in the UK.

Men are generally less likely than women to seek help for their mental health problems, Ramchandani told Reuters Health, but it is important that they do so.
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Dad mental health affects children too