Fathers Can Get Help For 'blues'

Newcastle Herald

Monday October 16, 2006

By ALICE KELLY Health Reporter

DADS struggling to cope with a newborn baby need support for the sake of themselves and their family, Newcastle researchers say.

New and expecting dads are as likely to suffer from depression as their partners, but are less likely to get the help they need, University of Newcastle health faculty researcher Richard Fletcher, Newcastle GP Chris Marley and Sydney mental health researcher Stephen Matthey say in today's Medical Journal of Australia.

Depression in new and expecting dads can have long-term effects on their children's health and can exacerbate the effects if the mother is also depressed.

But the damaging effects of depressed fathers were only now being studied, and Australia had few health services designed to meet their specific needs.

The article quoted research that showed anxiety and depressive disorders affect up to 5 per cent of new fathers and children had double the risk of behavioural and emotional problems at age 3 1/2 years if their father was depressed at eight weeks after the baby was born.

Health services are being called into question about a "mother-centred bias" in their clinics and Mr Fletcher said father-specific childbirth classes could help.

Such a program is already happening in Newcastle and reaching a small number of the region's dads-to-be.

The men-only Nuts and Bolts antenatal classes taught the dads-to-be about the birth, the first three months and the first three years of their baby's lives, John Hunter Hospital nurse unit manager and program organiser Chris May said.

This should help prepare them for the reality of being dads, including crying babies, social isolation and dirty nappies.

"The aim of this is to improve mens' relationships with their partners and babies and therefore help them all through the process," Mr May said.

Eight to 16 men usually attended the programs and Mr May said more trained men were needed to bring such programs to more Hunter dads.

© 2006 Newcastle Herald

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