41% of depressed fathers were found have spanked their child compared to 13% of non-depressed dads, researchers from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor revealed in the journal Pediatrics.

R. Neal Davis, MD, MSc, and team gathered information on 1,746 dads with 1-year-old children from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study.

A positive parenting behavior includes playing games, reading stories, and singing songs with a child at least 3 days in a typical week. Negative parenting behaviors include spanking.

They used the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form to assess depression in fathers.

They found that approximately 7% of all dads were suffering from depression.

They also found that a father with depression is considerably less likely to read regularly to his child.

On the other hand, they report that depressed and non-depressed dads were just as likely to play games, sing or talk to their children. The researchers believe these activities are more routinely performed by fathers than reading.

77% of fathers with depression said they had talked to their child’s pediatrician during the previous twelve months. Therefore, doctor’s visits might be an ideal opportunity to talk about specific parenting behaviors (screening for depression) and refer dads for appropriate therapy.

“Fathers’ Depression Related to Positive and Negative Parenting Behaviors With 1-Year-Old Children”
R. Neal Davis, MD, MSc, Matthew M. Davis, MD, MAPP, Gary L. Freed, MD, MPH, Sarah J. Clark, MPH
PEDIATRICS (doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1779)

Written by Christian Nordqvist