Bottom Line: Fathers screened positive for depression almost as often as mothers during well-child care visits with their young children in a small study at community health care centers in Indianapolis, Indiana. Researchers estimated the frequency of paternal depression using the Child Health Improvement Through Computer Automation (CHICA) system, which administers a tablet-based prescreening form to English- and Spanish-speaking parents in waiting rooms. The study analyzed parent responses from more than 9,500 clinic visits and 4.4 percent of fathers (36) screened positive for depression, which is comparable to the overall proportion of mothers who screened positive (273 or 5.0 percent). The results suggest pediatric clinics are promising places to address depression in a family.
Authors: Erika R. Cheng, Ph.D., M.P.A., of the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, and coauthors
To Learn More: The full study is available on the For The Media website.
(doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.1505)
Editor's Note: The article contains funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.
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Journal
JAMA Pediatrics