Men also suffer from the 'baby blues'

Men suffer post-natal depression - or the baby blues - too, new research has found.

Around one in five fathers in the UK will experience a bout of depression before their child reaches the age of 12, with the highest rates occurring in the first year after birth.

Scientists from the Medical Research Council looked at the medical records of nearly 87,000 UK families who had been diagnosed with, or treated for depression between the years 1993 and 2007.

By the time their child was a year old, three per cent of fathers had suffered from depression. This figure grew to 21 per cent by the time the child was 12.

Nearly 14 per cent of mothers also suffered from depression in the first year after the birth of their baby, rising to 24 per cent by the time the child was 12.

The researchers say the stress of caring for a new baby, lack of sleep, greater responsibility and a strained relationship may all contribute to the high rates of parental depression.

Young parents, those from poorer backgrounds and others with a history of depression were more likely to be affected.

Writing in the journal Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the researchers said: "It is well established that a personal history of depression is a strong risk factor for subsequent episodes of depression.

"Our study shows that it is a key factor in predicting later episodes of depression among parents of young children, particularly among fathers."

Currently, in the UK is recommended that all women undergo routine screening for depression after giving birth, but no such policy exists for fathers.

"There is a need for appropriate detection of depression among fathers. Clinicians should be aware that parents with a history of depression, younger parents, and those from more deprived environments are at particular risk for depression and should be assessed appropriately," the authors concluded.

This article was published on Tue 7 September 2010