The Experiences of Fathers When Their Partners are Admitted with Their Infants to a Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit

Abstract

Partners of mothers admitted to a psychiatric mother and baby unit have shown increased vulnerability to mental illness themselves; however, little is known about the support that these fathers need and receive during this time. Using interviews, this study sought to understand a) how fathers experienced the mental illness of their partner and the unit's services and b) how fathers could be better supported. Fathers face many emotional and practical challenges during their partner's admission and seek support from numerous sources, including the mother and baby unit. Fathers require more information from the mother and baby unit with regard to mental illness and the unit's services. Furthermore, the introduction of regular one-to-one updates between staff and fathers would provide an opportunity for fathers to understand how their partner is progressing and for staff to informally assess the father's wellbeing and outstanding support needs.

How do women's partners view perinatal mental health services? A qualitative meta‐synthesis

“…

When she and the baby were admitted, I was able to relax a bit. (Reid et al, )

I was scared that the baby would be disabled by the effect of medication, but I felt relieved when I heard that the doctor agreed to have her take medicine for symptoms.

…”

“…(Marrs et al, 2014) In these studies, it was notable that partners also described unique issues relating to exclusion. In particular, they feared they might be perceived to have abandoned their family (Boddy et al, 2017) and said the woman's admission left them feeling somewhat relegated from their role as father-like a "temporary father" (Reid et al, 2016) or a "fleeting figure" (Marrs et al, 2014)-as they no longer felt as central to looking after the mother or baby. They also found they struggled to "fit in" on the MBU.…”

“…When she and the baby were admitted, I was able to relax a bit. (Reid et al, 2016) I was scared that the baby would be disabled by the effect of medication, but I felt relieved when I heard that the doctor agreed to have her take medicine for symptoms. (Mizukoshi et al, 2016) Partners would have liked professionals to be more proactive in helping women access support sooner, for example, following up with them after childbirth and responding to signs of potential difficulties (e.g., Murphy, 2014).…”

The Experiences of Male Partners of Women with Postnatal Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis

“…In terms of the experience of parenting, findings were diverse, with some participants reporting harmonious parenting, in which they felt 'in-tune' and collaborated with their partner (Marrs et al 2014;Reid et al 2017;Webster 2002), while others described feelings of being criticised and excluded by their partner (Beestin et al 2014;Boddy et al 2017;Davey et al 2006;Engqvist and Nilsson 2011). For those men who found they were parenting alone due to their partners' physical or psychological absence, feelings of solitude and burden prevailed (Beestin et al 2014;Wyatt et al 2015).…”

“…Mental health problems during pregnancy and the first year postpartum are common among women (Howard et al 2014). To date, research has focused primarily on the impact of postnatal mental health problems on women and their relationship with their baby and attachment (Reid et al 2017). There is a growing recognition of the important role fathers play in women's mental health as well as in their infant's development, because the support given to women by their partner is positively correlated with the quality of the mother-child-relationship (Cummings and Watson O'Reilly 1997).…”