FATHERS ALSO GET THE BABY BLUES

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/fathers-also-get-the-baby-blues-20100909-153as.html

Images taken from: http://psychcentral.com/news/u/2010/05/baby-father.jpg
http://topnews.ae/images/Postpartum-Depression.jpg


Post-natal depression in fathers is almost unheard of, but it is so prevalent, a new study has concluded that one in five men will experience it while their children are young.


A study of nearly 87,000 families in the UK, found that 21 per cent of fathers and 39 per cent of mothers experienced a period of depression before their child reached 12 years of age. Depression was most common amongst the parents whose child/children was still in infancy. Thirteen per cent of mothers and 3 per cent of fathers became depressed before their child turned one.

The first criticism I have to raise here is that the article should have provided further details from the study as to why it is more common for parents of infants to be depressed than parents of older children. If this was not possible to conclude from the research, perhaps the SMH could have provided quotes from an expert to obtain their views.

According to the chief executive of the Post and Antenatal Depression Association, Belinda Horton, people often don’t seek help because of the stigma attached to mental illness, and when it arises during a joyous and celebratory occasion such as the birth of a new baby, they are more disinclined. The added parental responsibilities and stress that a new infant brings can also exacerbate their reluctance to seek help for post-natal depression.

This is an interesting and informative piece, raising awareness of a health issue - affecting fathers, that is not widely known. The article addressed the 5 W’s and 1 H. One of the strengths of the story is that it provided a clear and concise definition of post-natal depression, which would be useful to any fathers (and mothers) out there who may be experiencing depressive symptoms but cannot identify where the source of their depression is stemming from. This article will allow them, not to self-diagnose, but to recognise and seek professional help.

Another strength is that a support hotline for post and antenatal depression is included at the end of the article as well as a link to a website on parenting and pregnancy. Both would be useful for any parent reading this article. The SMH have also included a section for comments, which not only allows readers to offer their views and opinions of the article and the health issue in general, but also for parents to interact, connect and offer support and advice to one another.

A further strength of the article is that it addressed the ‘WHY’ in the research, which I often find mainstream news websites neglect to include when they have an article looking at a study. Some of the reasons why fathers and mothers experience post-natal depression include having a genetic predisposition to depression, physical illness, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes. Life circumstances such as inadequate support and past trauma could also be factors triggering post-natal depression.

What the article has failed to include is quotes from a range of people who could have been incorporated into the story to add a variety of opinions and perspectives into the story. There were only quotes from two people - the executive from the Post and Antenatal Depression Association and Beyond Blue. They both gave an explanation for why parents tend not to seek help to treat post-natal depression. However, what would have been better is if the SMH provided quotes from actual participants and researchers involved in the study. Researchers could go into more depth of their findings derived from their research and the participants could share their experiences of post-natal depression.





Fathers suffer from post-natal depression too

The Guardian published a similar article on their website on fathers suffering from post-natal depression. Overall, their story is more successful than the SMH because they have included more detailed facts and figures from the study, they used a range of quotes, and incorporated anecdotes of three fathers into their article - who share their experiences of what it was like suffering from post-natal depression. By integrating anecdotes, the Guardian has personalised their story, which has added further interest and given their readers an insight into fathers suffering from post-natal depression first-hand.