According to the study, depression reduces men’s and women’s chances of bearing children. Depression is a psychological state which causes low morale and unhappiness over a long period. If left unattended, it may lead to self-harm or suicide of its victims.

The study involved 1.4 million individuals while assessing register data from Finland. It investigated the connection between fertility, depression (Major Depressive Disorder), age at first birth, and the total tally of children. The study regarded Finnish men and women whose births were from 1960 to 1980.

The study gave much detail in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Kateryna Golovina, the lead researcher, says that depression causes low chances of bearing children and low children count. In addition, she adds there is a connection between depression and the common first birth age for both men and women.

Mild depression leads to few chances of bearing children

Men with mild clinical depression had a 33% lower chance than men without clinical depression. On the other hand, women with clinical depression had a 15% lower chance than women without bearing children. However, depression for women must be severe to drastically reduce their likelihood, while for men, depression must be mild for it to have an effect. The study also investigated whether variance in education levels was linked to depression and having children.

For men and women equipped with higher education, there was a link between depression to lower chances of bearing children and bearing few. However, for individuals equipped with basic education, men had no connection to it, while for women, there was a link between depression and higher chances of having children.

Early medical attention on depression

According to the study, early medical attention to depression is necessary. The reason is that depression influences the probability of having children. One way to assist is by opening more channels to services by obstetrician-gynaecologists. In addition, this also includes facilitating accessible mental healthcare services. More so, it must shed light on the impacts of mild depression on men as well. Finally, these findings could convince doctors to take a wider approach to treat patients by involving other disciplines.