Lots of studies have looked at how mom’s mood can affect childhood behavior and development, but what about Dad?

A new study suggests paternal depression during a child’s first year of school can significantly impact their behavior and social skills down the road.

Researchers from Rutgers University studied data from more than 1,400 children who were part of a national cohort of births from various U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000. Most of the children’s mothers were unmarried.

The researchers assessed fathers’ depression when the children were 5 years old and entering kindergarten, using a screening tool from the World Health Organization.

When the children reached 9 years old, their teachers assessed their behavior using two scales that measured hyperactivity, cooperation, self-control and other behaviors.

The results showed that children whose fathers had been depressed had significantly more behavioral problems than those whose fathers were not. The children with depressed fathers had 25% higher ADHD scores, 37% higher hyperactivity scores and 36% higher rates of oppositional behavior — behavior characterized by hostility and defiance toward authority figures.

These children also had 11% lower scores in social skills, and they continued to have behavioral struggles through fourth grade. What’s more, these results held even after the researchers adjusted for maternal depression and other child and family characteristics.

Raising perfect, socially adept kids can be difficult, but supporting dad’s mental health is one way for parents to support their child’s social and academic success for years to come.