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Despite understanding of the negative outcomes for children in a household with a depressed parent, fathers who experience postadoption depression have not been studied. This exploratory study describes adoption professionals' perceptions of fathers' experiences with postadoption depression. Twenty-five professionals who interact with adoptive families returned completed web-based survey data. Overall, respondents reported that fathers who experienced postadoption depression, were perceived as more likely to become disengaged from the family, and more likely to display anger and frustration rather than sadness or melancholy. Respondents appear divided on whether the adoptive father's depression was a reaction to the mother's depression. Mental health professionals should consider gender differences in depressive symptoms when assessing and treating adoptive fathers.
Keywords: depression, paternal, adoption, fathers
Ranked as the third highest cause of disability, depression is especially prominent in the 0 to 59 age group (The World Health Organization, 2008); this mood disorder affects an estimated 32.6 to 35.1 million adults or 16.2% of the adult population (Kessler, et al. 2003). By sex, it is estimated that 51.8% of the female and 48.2% of the male United States' population experience depression (Kessler, Berglund, Demler, Jin, Koretz, Merikangas, Rush, Walters, & Wang, 2003).
Depression in parents, particularly mothers, following the birth of a child has been widely studied. Although rates vary, it is estimated that approximately 10%-15% of new mothers experience postpartum depression (O'Hara & Swain, 1996). The prevalence of paternal postpartum depression has also been investigated. In a meta-analyses across 43 studies and 28,004 participants, Paulson & Bazemore (2010) found a 10.4% meta-estimate (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.5%-12.7%) for paternal postpartum depression with higher rates of depression reported at 3- to 6-months in the postnatal period (25.6%; 95% CI, 17.3%-36.1%). A positive correlation was also found between maternal and paternal depression: (r = 0.384).
One of the most pernicious aspects of depression is the toll it can take on not just the affected individual, but also those connected to the individual, such as the children of parents who are experiencing depression. The effects of maternal depression in birthparents and adverse outcomes in children have been documented (for example, Hay, Pawlby, Sharp, Asten, Mills, & Kumar, 2001; Zajicek-Farber, 2009; Dietz, Donahue, Kelley, & Marshal, 2009; Weinberg, Olson, Beeghly, & Tronick, 2006). While...