Study says sad dads spank more

Depression in fathers can negatively affect a young child's health and development. As compared to their non-depressed counterparts, depressed fathers are nearly four times more likely to spank their children, claims a study.

The researchers studied data from 1,746 fathers of 1-year-old children in the 'Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study.' Fathers reported on how often they played with, sang to and read to their kids.

They also reported whether they had spanked their kids in the last month and whether they had spoken to their child's medical provider in the past year. The fathers were also assessed for depression.

Overall, 7 per cent of fathers had depression. Of those, 41 per cent said they read to their child at least three times a week, as compared with 58 per cent of fathers who weren't depressed.

Forty-one per cent of fathers said they had hit their child in the last month -- over three times as many as fathers who weren't depressed, reported the study published in the journal -- 'Paediatrics.'

"The effect of mothers' depression on parenting behaviours has well been established," said Sarah Clark, senior author of the study.

"This study is important because it demonstrates that depression in fathers has a very tangible effect on how those fathers interact with their young children," added Clark.

The findings also offered an important cue to action, as over three-quarters of depressed fathers reported talking to their child's doctor in the previous year.

"This suggests that visits to the paediatrician may provide an ideal opportunity to discuss specific parenting behaviours with fathers and to refer depressed fathers for appropriate treatment," said R Neal Davis, a former fellow at the University of Michigan Health System's Child Health and Evaluation Research (CHEAR) Unit in the Division of General Paediatrics.