Dads can get the baby blues too

Nicola Robertson and Catriona Brown of HAPIS and Mike Shanks from the Rotary Club with Doug Robertson, Claire Stirling, Isla Robertson (3), Edie Robertson (19 months) and Alena Stirling (13 months).

A GROUP which wants to provide more postnatal support for depressed dads has become the second winner of our monthly cash giveaway.

Thanks to £200 funding from the Loch Ness Rotary Club, HAPIS – the Highland ante/postnatal illness and depression support group – will produce a leaflet aimed at fathers who may also be suffering from the condition.

The HN has teamed up with the rotary club which, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, is to give away £200 each month this year for a lucky group, individual or charity in the Inverness area to put to good use.

Anne Simpson from HAPIS explained what the February award will now be used for.

"Last year we produced a very successful DVD to distribute around the NHS and the wider community on the effects of this illness on the family," she said. "One of the off-shoots of this DVD was a demand for more support for fathers and an awareness of the importance of the input of the father on the emotional, cognitive and behavioural development of the young child."

She added: "So we have produced a leaflet purely aimed at fathers. The money will be used to print the leaflet.

"Depression in the new father is now being recognised as a factor in the early break-up of marriages or partnerships and health professionals are more aware of the benefits of early recognition and treatment for both mother and father."

Speaking on behalf of the Rotary Club of Loch Ness, member Michael Shanks, an NHS Highland psychiatrist, said: "We are obviously delighted to have selected HAPIS as this month’s Charter Charity Fund winners.

"We are aware of the great work they do in raising awareness of ante and post natal depression, but the fact that they are now looking to expand on this by creating an information brochure for fathers of families affected by this type of depression can only be a positive step forward to help some of the families who are in need.

"The prevalence of post natal stress and related depressive and anxiety symptoms in both mothers and fathers is an important public health problem. The availability of support and counselling from organisations like HAPIS is a crucial element in improving access to psychological therapies for these disabling emotional symptoms which can also impact on child development."

He added: "We are delighted that Loch Ness Rotary can be involved in some small way with this new project that HAPIS are trying to address. We wish them well and will follow the progress of their project with great interest."

• January’s recipient of the £200 was The Glen Urquhart Childcare Centre in Drumnadrochit for its efforts to achieve a bronze award in the Eco Schools programme.