父亲抑郁易导致孩子情感与言行问题

　　A study published today shows that children who live with a father who has mental health problems and depression have higher rates of behavioural and emotional problems themselves.

　　The study authors looked at a nationally representative sample of almost 22,000 children over four years.

　　The team, led by Dr Michael Weitzman at NYU's Langone Medical Center, found that 11 per cent of children with depressed fathers had behavioural and emotional problems.

　　For children without depressed parents, the figure was just six per cent, while for a child of a depressed mother, the number was 19 per cent.

　　It is believed that a parents' depression affects the way he or she interacts with a child, in turn contributing to a child's behaviour.

　　Indeed, at 25 per cent, the figures spiked for children or two depressed parents.

　　Speaking about the results, Dr Weitzman told Good Morning America that the study is 'remarkable' because it is the first of its kind.

　　“ I think fathers are underrecognized in terms of the impact they have in families and in children's lives,” he explained. “It behooves us to try and devise clinical services that would identify fathers that are depressed and figure out ways to link them to services.”