A new study revealed why people who suffer from depression also have difficulties with parenting.
One in four American adults suffers from depression. This accounts for almost 30 percent of the total American population. Mental disorders are also the leading cause of disabilities among people aged 15 to 44.
Researchers at the University of Exeter found that people suffering from depression may also face problems with parenthood. They also identified symptoms that could help predict, which adults are more likely to struggle with parenting due to their depression. This is the first study to look into the reasons behind this occurrence. The first reason they identified was memory problems associated with depression. Owing to this parents are not able to set appropriate goals for their children during the child's developmental stage.
After a mother gives birth, her brain undergoes some structural changes, which help her identify and respond to the needs of her new born baby. These changes also take place in fathers. However, sometimes adults with depression don't experience these changes and remain oblivious to their infant's needs. This leads to parenting problems, which could result in a child developing behavioral problems.
"We have looked at a wide range of research studies and identified multiple factors that link depression in adults to difficulties in their parenting role," Dr Lamprini Psychogiou from the University of Exeter said in a press release. "This work will help identify areas in which future research is necessary in order to develop interventions that will prevent mental health issues from being transmitted from one generation to the next. We hope that this will go some way towards helping both depressed parents and their children."
The findings of this study can lead to the development of more effective interventions that can prevent depression and psychological problems from being passed on from parents to children.
