Earlier this week an article in the Irish Independent reported on the trial of Mark Bruton-Young, a 36 year old Dad charged with murdering his baby daughter, why is this article getting such particular attention worldwide...because Mark Bruton-Young is pleading Post Natal Depression as the mitigating factor in his taking his baby girls life! http://bit.ly/jPcHx9
For so long post natal depression has been viewed, researched, diagnosed and treated as a female illness directly linked to pregnancy and the experience of child birth. In 2008 there were 20,624 births recorded for the Dublin area alone. Statistically 12% of Mothers will suffer from some degree of Post Natal Depression (PND) with 1 out of 500 being hospitalised with severe symptoms. Research continues to link PND in women with a specific hormone imbalance but so far the findings are insubstantial, what is undeniable though is that psycho-social factors are a contributing factor and that PND is a serious and debilitating illness that requires professional support and intervention at the earliest possible signs.
Pregnancy and child birth can be an emotionally over whelming experience and combined with the lack of sleep and the demands of a new baby women can struggle to manage and regulate the experience. What this research is now telling us, and it does make sense when you think about it, is that fathers are exposed to the same stresses and emotions that accompany the life-changing experience becoming a parent is. Fathers are more likely to experience signs and symptoms of PND if they have a previous history of depression (as is true in mothers) or are older Dad's (as the life style adjustment in this case can be greater). Symptoms of PND in fathers were observed to emerge either during the mothers pregnancy or during the first year of the child's life, peaking at 3-6 months after birth. If a mother has PND the likelihood of the father developing it himself also increase significantly.
What all of this tells us is that becoming a parent is a stressful, overwhelming and life changing experience that some of us are going to need extra supports and intervention to cope with...and that if one parent is showing signs of depression then we should be looking to the other parent at the same time to ensure he/she have all the supports they need. Most importantly, do not suffer in silence!!
Parents suffering from PND will ask how it will effect the child(ren) and the answer is that there is an effect but if you can seek appropriate support and help as early as possible the effect will not be long lasting. If PND remains untreated the infant/child may develop behavioural issues and/or attachment disorder as a result...again this can be addressed and worked with, the key point is to ensure you seek help! Children, even very young infants, can pick up on how their care givers are feeling and they may take on these feelings as their own and begin to mirror you and/or see themselves as having to take care of you and make you happy. We know that children do best when they are growing up in a safe, loving, secure environment and they need you to be feeling happy and at your best to provide this. If you are not able to do so you should enlist the support of family and friends to help you with your child(ren) while you are seeking support so that the child(ren) is also receiving positive and appropriate care from a trusted adult. The Health Service Executive may be of assistance to you in this regard if you need them. The child(ren) of parents with PND may benefit from a therapeutic intervention such as play therapy and/or theraplay.
Prognosis for a full recovery is very good but it does depend on you acknowledging that there is a problem and that you seek support and help. Friends and family are a great source of support but you should also seek professional support, your GP is a very good place to start and there are many organisations throughout Ireland who offer ongoing support to parents with PND or other related issues. My clinic, Solamh Parent Child Relationship Clinic in Dublin also offers specialised support in this area (to both mothers and fathers) and you can read more about this on www.solamh.com and feel free to contact us for more information and/or an appointment.
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