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Perinatal mental health: Fathers – the (mostly) forgotten parent
Author(s) -
Wong Olivia,
Nguyen Tram,
Thomas Naomi,
ThomsonSalo Frances,
Handrinos Dennis,
Judd Fiona
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
asia‐pacific psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.654
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1758-5872
pISSN - 1758-5864
DOI - 10.1111/appy.12204
Subject(s) - mental health , perinatal period , mental illness , intervention (counseling) , perspective (graphical) , psychology , childbirth , psychiatry , infant mental health , medicine , psychological intervention , developmental psychology , pregnancy , genetics , artificial intelligence , computer science , biology
The importance of parental mental health as a determinant of infant and child outcomes is increasingly acknowledged. Yet, there is limited information regarding paternal mental health during the perinatal period. The aim of this review is to summarize existing clinical research regarding paternal mental health in the perinatal period in various contexts, and its possible impact on infant development. Method An electronic literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and P ub M ed databases. Key texts were used to cross‐check for any further articles of interest. Results Men are at increased risk of mental health problems during the transition to fatherhood, as well as during the perinatal period. Paternal mental health during the perinatal period has been shown to impact on their child's emotional and behavioral development. However, research addressing the needs of fathers with mental illness and the impact of their illness on their infant and family has been limited. Conclusions A paradigm shift is required, from a focus on women following childbirth and women with pre‐existing psychiatric disorders, to a broader family perspective with the focus firmly on parent–infant relationships. This paradigm shift needs to involve greater research into the fathering role and paternal mental illness during the perinatal period, including further studies into risk factors, impact on the family system, and the most appropriate form of intervention and service provision.