Highlights
- Mothers are more responsible for their childrens mental health
- Men are less likely to seek treatment for depression
- Your diet can actually help curb some of the symptoms
If you are a father who hasn't sought treatment for depression, it could have an impact on your adolescent child. According to a new study published in the Journal Lancet Psychiatry, there is association between depression in fathers and their teenaged children, independent of whether the mother has it. While the link between mother's depression and depression in their children is well-established, this comes out to be a new revelation.
"There's a common misconception that mothers are more responsible for their children's mental health, while fathers are less influential. We found that the link between parent and teen depression is not related to gender," said lead author Gemma Lewis, lecturer at the University College of London. The effects of fathers' and mothers' depression on their children's were similar in magnitude. "Men are less likely to seek treatment for depression. We hope that our findings could encourage men who experience depressive symptoms to speak to their doctor about it," Lewis said.
For the study, the team of researchers used data from two research involving 13,838 families. Parental depressive symptoms were assessed using a questionnaire when the children were nine and seven in two cohorts and then adolescent depressive symptoms were assessed when the children were 13 and 14 years old.
Depression is a common problem, considering we are leading a fast paced stressful life. Your diet can actually help curb some of the symptoms of depression that include stress and anxiety. Try and include these foods in your daily diet.
1. Honey
Honey consists of kaempferol and quercetin that helps to prevent depression by reducing inflammation in the brain. It can be considered as a sweet natural defense that helps you feel better.
2. Beetroot
Beets are a great source of B vitamin folate that helps in boosting your mood. They are also loaded with betaine that is used by our brain to produce SAM-e that acts as natural anti-depressant.
3. Tomatoes
Tomatoes get their colour from a compound known as lycopene, which helps in regulating your mood. They also contain magnesium, folate and iron that produce mood-boosting neuro-transmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
4. Chocolate
Dark chocolates have a compound called anandamide, which can make you feel good and is also known to temporarily block feelings of pain and sadness. Chocolates are also known to reduce high-levels of stress hormone.
With Inputs From IANS