Parental Depression and Its Impact on Child and Family Well-Being
On March 9, 2018, The National Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Assistance and Strategic Dissemination Center (CANTASD) hosted a Digital Dialogue with Jessica Dym Bartlett, the Deputy Program Area Director for Early Childhood Development & Child Welfare at Child Trends.
The conversation focused on the impact of parental depression on child and family well-being. This [ARTICLE] document summarizes the conversation with the 267 individuals from around the country who joined the call.
UNDERSTANDING PREVALENCE Dr. Bartlett provided an overview of what current research tells us about parental depression: • Depression is not uncommon. Depression affects 16.2 million adults, or 7% of all adults, in the United States. More women suffer than men, especially after pregnancy.1 Approximately 15.6 million children—one in five—live with a parent diagnosed with depression.2 • Depression affects both mothers and fathers. One in seven new mothers (or just over 14%) experience postpartum depression. While less is known about depression among new fathers, existing research suggests approximately 5% to 10% of men experience depression during the postpartum period. Because depression is more common among new mothers, more attention and resources have been dedicated to addressing depression among mothers than among fathers.3 • Parental depression often begins during pregnancy. Current research suggests that symptoms of maternal depression are not more common or severe after childbirth than during pregnancy.4 This underlines the need to attend to the mental health needs of mothers while they are pregnant. • Families facing life adversities may be particularly affected by parental depression. Reviews of the home visiting literature suggest rates of depression between 23% and 57%.5 Similarly, nationally
POLL QUESTION 1: WHAT PROPORTION OF THE FAMILIES YOU WORK WITH SEEM TO STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION? Participants were asked about how prevalent depression seemed to be for the families they worked with. Overall, those on the call reported high rates of depression among the families they served. About 38% of those who responded indicated that over half of the families they work with seem to struggle with depression.
POLL QUESTION 2: WHAT TYPES OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE OR CONNECT FAMILIES TO? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.)
POLL QUESTION 3: WHAT DO YOU DO TO ADDRESS PARENTAL DEPRESSION? (SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.)
To read the poll question responses and the full document CLICK HERE or see attached.
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