Fathers Mental Health Impacts On Their Children

Children of fathers who have psychiatric disorders are twice as likely to develop psychiatric or behavioural problems themselves.  This research has been published in The Lancet by a team of University of Oxford experts.  What is interesting about this, is men are most prone to psychiatric problems at about the same time they are likely to become fathers, between the ages of18 and 35.

According to the researchers, too much emphasis has been given in the past to women’s mental health and its impact on their children and the effect of men’s mental health on their children has been neglected.  As men become more involved in the care of their children, the influence of men’s mental health is set to rise.

What I find concerning about this information, is not that it’s particularly new, it just emphasises the need for men to look after their mental health.  Some men still find it extremely difficult to seek help for a mental health issue like depression, anxiety or drinking too much.  Perhaps knowing it is for the good of their children, they might just be encouraged to do so.