Getting help as a depressed dad: A lived experience narrative of paternal postnatal depression, with considerations for healthcare practice

Abstract

What is known about the subject?• A significant proportion of fathers report experiencing depression after their baby is born • Fathers are not offered regular support for their psychological well-being in the transition to parenthood despite an acknowledged need for such support What does the paper add to existing knowledge?• Lived experience provides new insight into how one father experienced postnatal depression, including the role of his partner in help-seeking • It explains the delayed presentation in help-seeking as resulting from healthcare practitioner language and attitudes, and gendered expectations around mental health and help-seeking in the context of fatherhood What are the implications for mental health nursing?• Mental health nurses should be aware that postnatal depression can affect fathers as well as mothers, and that it is necessary to support fathers in safe spaces and with appropriate language • Planning care for depression in men should consider the recent birth of a child in order to provide effective care • Clearer guidance is needed for supporting new fathers with postnatal depression

A relational investigation of Israeli gay fathers’ experiences of surrogacy, early parenthood, and mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…In particular, findings emphasised the inadequacy of bureaucratic and institutional systems to assist and include same-sex families, and the subsequent harmfulness to gay parents needs to be considered. The accounts described in this study indicate the need for widespread adoption of inclusive language across institutions, increased support throughout the surrogacy process, increased publicity of perinatal distress in men, and improvements to the diagnostic process of perinatal distress in men [92].…”

“…This echoes research showing talking therapy-helping people explore ways to connect with children without pressure-can be as effective as pharmacological treatment for postnatal depression [91]. It also emphasises the need to publicise more widely that father-infant bonds typically take time to form after birth [30], and more so if they are disrupted by depression [92].…”

Exploring fathers’ experiences of seeking support for postnatal depression

“…Female partners are fundamental in influencing men to seek help (Norcross et al, 1996) but postnatally, fathers feel their needs are not valid (Darwin et al, 2017). The partners' role is valuable, given they are the closest to fathers, and so may be the first to see they are unwell and influence their help-seeking, as shown through the lived experience of one father who identified his partner as being the one who saved his life (Davenport & Swami, 2022). Conversely, the partners may also not be fully aware of their PND, with health literacy around PND in fathers being limited in comparison to mothers in one UK sample (Swami et al, 2020).…”