>> Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States
and research shows that parents
of young children have a high
risk of being depressed
a new study out of Northeast
Florida found that 25% of moms
and 10% of dads experience
depression in the first 5 years
of their
child’s life. Researchers say
it not only affects the
parents, the children as well
so here to talk more about the
study doctor least beluga with
the US help and she specializes
in child and adolescent
psychiatry, thank you so much
for coming on.
This is an issue that I feel
like a lot of people maybe your
shame to talk about you know
being depressed us especially
when you have a young child and
supposed to be the best timing
in life but it
happens right, right it’s so
common and I mean if you think
about all the stresses that
come in when you transition
from not having a child to
trying to raise a young child
as I know you
know Ashley.
>> It’s it creates a lot of
pressure and increases your
risk for depression
and the really important thing
to understand is that kids
especially during preschool
age, so it’s 3,
4, 5, really depend upon their
parents to help them regulate
their own emotions control
their temper manage their
frustration and so if you have
a parent who is you know really
hampered and hindered by
depression. It’s going
to it keep make it harder for
them to help their child with
their own emotional regulation.
So how do you do it what if
you are depressed what if
you’re you’re battling that and
you do have a preschooler in
your just wondering what to do
in that situation.
Yeah Wolf I mean first thing
that’s important to know is you
are not alone depression is so
common affects one out of 4
moms and the first 4 years of
their child’s life and one out
of 10 dads too.
And so if you noticed symptoms
of depression really it’s
depression is a medical
condition like anything else
you need to talk to your doctor
and find out more about
effective treatments like
therapy or medication
and we do always talk about
postpartum depression of women
I like how the study
incorporates the dads too
because they also have gone
through a major life shift and
maybe it’s not as big as the
mom specially that like a stay
at home mom, whatever. But
they’re still a major life
change there. Exactly and both
parents are really critical to
a child’s development and so
while previous studies have
really focused on moms are
study. From the University of
Florida focus on both moms and
dads and the interesting thing
we found when we looked at some
of the analysis is that in some
ways dads are at at as high
risk of developing depression
as the moms. So how does this
affect the child they are
saying it it kind of.
Figuring out how
to how to react how to deal
with their emotions but like
does it affect them in school
with other children like
how does it play out. Yeah
excellent questions so you know
what our study really looked
that it is
whether there’s an increase of
behavior and emotional problems
at home at school and at
day care and we found that know
if you only look at the press
parents, half of them have kids
with significant problems at
home and school and day care.
So there’s just this increased
risk that we see manifest at
such a young age and you know
early intervention is so
critical and so if you can
you know early intervention to
get the parents treatment but
also to get the kids help and
further evaluation will really
positively impact the family’s
going forward have a friend to
she just had her second
she I don’t want to say
depressed because I don’t I
don’t know if that fits
what she’s been going through,
but instead of going straight
to medication, she’s gone to
this it’s a like a support
group for moms
and she said just venting just
talking about it
has made it so much better so
it doesn’t always have to be
you’re depressed you need
medication right right and I’m
I’m so glad the news for jax’s
highlighting this important
topic because there is there’s
such a stigma around depression
and I mean I think if you
realize that there’s there’s a
lot of effective treatments,
including talk therapy.
And really getting more
socially connected. I think
it’s very like you’re saying
actually it’s very isolating to
have a young child whether
you’re you know regardless of
what your situation is and so
sometimes it’s really helpful
to have solidarity and no
you’re not alone and that there
are other people who are going
through the same things.
Especially in this community.
We have a big military
community, you know and some
moms move here.
They don’t have any friends.
They don’t have any family to
help them and it’s really just
them while their husbands off
at work. That’s hard when
you’ve got to have a
mental break. Yeah, and I mean
you need social connection and
I think the other big point is
that as parents you know as
moms and dads we’re spending so
much time taking care of our
and you forget that there’s
it’s important to have time for
self-care you need a break you
need time to stay true to who you are and to you know to get connected socially with friends
and with your community
because that feeds you and that
gives you energy and health to
be