Shining a light on men's perinatal mental health in early fatherhood

19 Jun 2020

National Director of St John of Raphael Services, Helen McAllister said up to one in 10 fathers experience perinatal anxiety and depression which, if left untreated, could have serious consequences.

St John of God Raphael Services provides free, psychiatry-led mental health care for parents from conception up to their child's fourth birthday.

“The pressures of fatherhood, new expectations and learning to raise a child can be overwhelming and contribute to paternal perinatal depression and anxiety,” Helen said.

“Men are twice as likely to suffer from perinatal anxiety and depression if their partner is suffering from it too, however there are limited clinical tools in place to identify symptoms in men.

“This is why education is critical to not only break down the stigma of men seeking help, but also help friends and family members recognise symptoms in new dads.”

Suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged under 45 years in Australia, with the number of male suicides continuing to exceed that of females by 31 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has noted that the high rates of suicide among men in this age bracket coincides with them becoming fathers and raising young children.

Helen said she hoped Federal Government funding into suicide prevention research would bring to the forefront the importance of early intervention service provision and tailored support for fathers.

“Studies have proven that prevention and treatment of both paternal and maternal mental health in the early stages of parenthood encourage infant-parent attachment and benefit the whole family unit,” she said.

“It is critical that we increase avenues of support and expand the same mental health checks for new dads that we have for new mums, so that both parents are treated equally.”