Perinatal mental health: Fathers - the (mostly) forgotten parent

Olivia Wong1, Tram Nguyen2,3, Naomi Thomas2

  • 1Centre for Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia. oli@hotmail.com.

Insights

Paternal mental health during the perinatal period significantly impacts infant development. More research is needed on fathers

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal mental health
  • Infant development
  • Paternal psychology

Background:

  • Parental mental health is a key factor in infant and child development.
  • Limited research exists on paternal mental health during the perinatal period.
  • Understanding fathers' mental well-being is crucial for family health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing clinical research on paternal perinatal mental health.
  • To explore the impact of paternal mental health on infant development.
  • To identify gaps in current research and suggest future directions.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted an electronic literature search using MEDLINE and PubMed.
  • Utilized key texts for cross-referencing and identifying additional relevant articles.

Main Results:

  • Men face increased mental health risks during the transition to fatherhood and the perinatal period.
  • Paternal mental health influences infant emotional and behavioral development.
  • Research on fathers with mental illness and their family impact is limited.

Conclusions:

  • A shift towards a family-centered approach is needed, focusing on parent-infant relationships.
  • Further research on fathering roles and paternal perinatal mental illness is essential.
  • Investigating risk factors, family system impacts, and interventions is crucial.
Abstract

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