In the past researchers have assumed that a mother’s mental health is more influential to a child than the father’s mental health. However, new research shows this is not true. If a father is depressed, the risk of his children suffering from mental or behavioral problems goes up by 70%. Part of this increase could be caused by genetics, but it can also be caused by the family environment. If the mother is also depressed, the children have an even higher chance of developing mental and behavioral problems.
Read more: Dad’s depression may rub off on kids