Screening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fathers' mental health through a digital parenting programme

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Health
• Mental Health Technology
• Perinatal Mental Health

Background:

• Maternal perinatal depression screening is common, but father-focused services, especially for Indigenous fathers, are scarce.
• Existing digital health tools often lack cultural adaptation for diverse populations.
• The SMS4dads/SMS4DeadlyDads program aims to support fathers' perinatal wellbeing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate engagement with the Mood Checker (MC) mental health screening tool among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fathers.
• To assess the tool's effectiveness in identifying mental health distress and facilitating referrals.
• To understand patterns of engagement with digital mental health tools in this population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of routinely collected program data from fathers enrolled between September 2021 and June 2024.
• Assessment of engagement metrics including link clicks, self-assessment completion rates, and support access.
• Comparison of distress levels between engaged and non-engaged participants.

Main Results:

• 19% of Mood Checker links were clicked, with a 29% completion rate among those clicked.
• 'Antenatal stress' and 'Will I be a good father' showed highest engagement.
• Fathers with higher distress at enrollment were less likely to engage with the Mood Checker.

Conclusions:

• Culturally adapted digital fathering programs show promise for identifying perinatal mental health distress in Indigenous fathers.
• The Mood Checker tool can facilitate timely mental health support referrals.
• Engagement with digital tools is crucial for reaching underserved paternal populations.