Depression in Dads Can be Just as Bad

Troubled teen? Don't blame the mom quite yet.

Troubled Dads Can Influence Kids

A study in 2009 revealed that a dad being depressed can affect kids just as deeply as a depressed mother. The role of men, according to a team at the University of Oxford, as been "enderemphasized." Who's greatly in danger of being damaged by dad?

The study concludes that young children can develop behavioral problems with a depressed dad, and that boys who look up to their dads are more influenced by their fathers than originally thought. The study also stated that "The peak age for men to be affected by psychiatric disorders is the same as the peak age for becoming a father — between 18 and 35."

Sounds obvious, right? It turns out that majority of previous research had focused on mothers, who usually provide the majority of childcare in most societies, and now the focus needs to change. With dads taking an ever-developing nurturing role in family life, experts stressed the importance of studying fathers and their interaction with their children.