Researchers in London and Bristol have found that men are particularly likely to yield to depression if their partners are also depressed. The finding highlights the importance of paying attention to the partners of depressed mothers, as young children themselves are vulnerable   to social problems if both parents are depressed. Researchers in London and at the University of Bristol launched their study to investigate whether family structure affects the likelihood of depression in men around the time their child is born. They looked at men from traditional families, men with children from a previous relationship, men whose partners had children by a former partner, and men who were not living with their partners. All 7,108 participants filled out a questionnaire on depression, and answered questions about their age, education level and employment status. Details about the quality of their relationships with their partners, networks of friends and previous life events were also recorded. About 3.5 percent of the men and 13 percent of their partners suffered depression around the time their child was born. While men in stepfamilies or who were not living with their partners were twice as likely to get depressed as those in traditional families, this could be explained by other factors that are more common in nontraditional families, such as poor education and relationship conflicts. Even allowing for all these factors, however, the partners of women who were suffering from prenatal   depression were significantly more likely to become depressed themselves, the researchers report in an American journal. Ten percent of women who were depressed had depressed partners. For the healthy women, the figure was only 2.6 percent. Previous research suggests that families with two depressed parents may need special attention. A researcher in Atlanta has found that primary school children with two troubled parents have difficulty relating to their peers. "It's extremely important to look at the whole family." she says. Why did researchers in London and Bristol carry out such an investigation?
To see what kind of family environment is ideal for children to grow up in. To study whether family structure affects depression in men when their child is born. To investigate why so many men get depressed when a child is born. To see whether it is true that behind every depressed man there is a depressed woman.