Today, dads are likely to take their role as fathers more seriously and would be willing to proactively seek help for mental health issues for the sake of their children. According to a survey released by the American Psychiatric Association, fatherhood is an important factor in persuading men towards better mental health.
The national online survey was conducted on behalf of the American Psychiatric Association by Harris Interactive within the United States. It polled 2,274 adults above the age of 18.
Over six million men suffer from depression each year, and many of them try to deal with the issue without resorting to external aid. However, an astounding 90 percent of the surveyed men said that if they were feeling depressed they would seek help solely on the basis of their role as fathers or guardians.
Fatherhood also influences dads’ attempts to reach out to their own parents who may suffer depression. While 85 percent of non-parents said they would encourage their own dad to seek help for depression, more than 90 percent of the parents polled gave the same response.
Although the stigma associated with mental health issues has declined tremendously in recent years, much work still needs to be done. Many of the male survey respondents specified that they would be more comfortable discussing other health issues rather than depression.
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