Give men equal emotional support around pregnancy to avoid feeling left out, experts urge
A study shows that men should receive as much emotional support as women in the run-up to parenthood.
More attention should be paid to expectant fathers during antenatal and other clinical appointments to prevent them feeling ‘left out’, a review of evidence found.
Many new fathers reported being “physically and emotionally tested to the breaking point” and suffering from periods of exhaustion and postpartum depression symptoms.
But they felt unable to ask for help because they weren’t supposed to be the ones finding new parenthood difficult.
The academics called for the development of clinical guidelines to support mental health care in the run-up to – and shortly after – becoming a father.
This would help them cope with the physical, psychological and social changes in their lives during the transition to fatherhood, they suggest.
Researchers drew on findings from surveys, interviews and focus groups from Britain, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, involving more than 1,000 men.
Some had a positive experience with no mental health consequences, but most faced challenges, they found, that had a detrimental impact on their overall mental health and wellbeing.
Experts have called for clinical guidelines to be developed to provide men with mental health care in the run-up to fatherhood.
Fathers said they “often felt ill-prepared for the exhaustion and new responsibilities” that came with the arrival of a new baby, which left little time for intimacy and quality time with their partners and that this “put a strain on the relationship ‘.
They often felt excluded from the mother-child relationship, starting during pregnancy when they “felt like bystanders,” which undermined their confidence in their ability to be parents.
Other themes included insufficient tailored information or antenatal classes to meet their needs during the transition to fatherhood, as this was ‘not considered important’, according to the findings published in the BMJ.
In almost half of the studies, fathers in particular felt that they needed to be better informed about parenting in general, but especially about breastfeeding issues, in order to better support their partners.
The University of Newcastle research team says clinical guidelines need to be developed for paternal perinatal mental health support and management.
Doctors, midwives and other healthcare workers should also ensure that sufficient time is allocated to acknowledge fathers’ wellbeing during perinatal appointments, they suggest.
They conclude: ‘By addressing fathers’ wellbeing issues and challenges during the transition to fatherhood, through the development of clinical guidelines for the management of fathers’ perinatal mental health, as well as effective clinician/organization involvement and father inclusion , this can help remove stigmas. and gender expectations that society still follows.
They add: ‘It is clear that fathers need equal emotional and practical support as mothers during this time, and it is therefore important that tailored support is provided in the future and that fathers are not seen as a “forgotten entity” considered.
An NHS spokesperson said expectant fathers are involved in care in the run-up to birth, as long as their partner agrees.
He said: ‘Partners of pregnant women and new mothers who themselves suffer from anxiety, depression or more serious disorders such as psychosis will automatically be offered a comprehensive mental health assessment and referred to professional support if necessary.’
