Depression is a problem that affects many people. Sometimes, becoming a parent can make it harder.
This is what a recent study by researchers at University College London (UCL) tells us.
The study looked at the health records of over 500,000 men from 2007 to 2016. Among these, around 90,000 had a baby in the past year. The rest, about 454,000, did not have a baby.
The researchers were interested in knowing how many of these men were prescribed antidepressants. Antidepressants are medicines that help with depression.
The researchers didn’t find any difference between the two groups of men in terms of antidepressant use. But, they found something interesting.
Men who had used antidepressants before were over 30 times more likely to use them again after having a baby. In other words, having a baby seemed to reignite their depression.
Holly Smith, a Ph.D. candidate at UCL and the lead author of the study, said that depression and fatherhood have a complex relationship.
Men with a history of depression might need to continue their treatment after becoming fathers. Or, they might be more likely to feel depressed again. The challenges of having a new baby might make this worse.
Often, after a baby is born, we focus on the mother and baby’s health. But, we also need to make sure that new fathers are okay. They might need to see their doctor for a mental health check-up in the first year after their baby is born.
Other Factors: What Else Matters?
Other things can also affect whether new fathers are prescribed antidepressants. One such thing is social deprivation.
The researchers found that fathers living in poorer areas were 18% more likely to be prescribed antidepressants. This was compared to fathers living in wealthier areas.
Limitations of the Study: What Are the Drawbacks?
The study isn’t perfect, though. The researchers identified fathers based on women of a similar age in the same household having a baby. This could mean that they didn’t count all the fathers in the study.
Also, they only looked at men who were prescribed antidepressants. They didn’t look at men who had symptoms or diagnoses of depression but didn’t use antidepressants.
Final Thoughts: What’s the Takeaway?
In summary, this study tells us that becoming a father can be hard for men who have had depression before.
They are more likely to need antidepressants again. So, it’s important for new fathers to take care of their mental health too.
If you care about depression, please read studies about vegetarianism linked to higher risk of depression, and Vitamin D could help reduce depression symptoms.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that ultra-processed foods may make you feel depressed, and flavonoid-rich foods could help prevent dementia.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
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