Gershoff said warm and responsive parenting is important for kids, but might be a struggle for depressed parents. Whether treating the depression helps is unclear, but the study suggests it’s possible, she added.

“We need to pay more attention to how dads discipline their kids,” Gershoff said. “We should recognize that men do get depressed and that it’s perfectly normal.”

SOURCE:  Pediatrics, online March 14, 2011.