THE WIDER EFFECTS OF PATERNAL POST NATAL DEPRESSION: AN OVERVIEW

Paternal Post Natal Depression (PPND), although becoming more prevalent, is still poorly recognised. Unfortunately, its effects and negative outcomes have not been as widely researched as that of maternal postnatal depression. PPND can affect the fathers parenting style and lead to a negative effect on their child’s behaviour and social development. Furthermore, depressed fathers may feel unsupported and this can lead to problems with the marital relationship and be associated with concurrent maternal postnatal depression. Moreover, support services and interventional therapy come at a cost to the health service and therefore treating PPND can impact the economy. Identifying the effects PPND has is important as implementing reliable screening measures and better education may prevent negative outcomes