In Australia, an estimated one in ten men experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression before and after their child is born (the perinatal period).
Authors
- Delyse Hutchinson
Associate Professor, Clinical Psychologist, and NHMRC Leadership Fellow, SEED Centre for Lifespan Research, School of Psychology, Deakin University
- Genevieve Le Bas
Clinical Psychologist and Research Fellow, Deakin University
- Jacqui Macdonald
Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University
- Samantha Teague
Senior Research Fellow in Psychology, James Cook University
- Stephanie Aarsman
Research Fellow, Deakin University
Alongside emotional ups and downs and exhaustion, new dads may also be facing greater practical demands, such as caring for the baby, supporting their partner, and providing financially.
It's not surprising, then, that becoming a dad may be linked to increased psychological distress. But it's concerning because many men don't access help . There's also growing evidence a father's mental state may affect his developing child in the short and long term.
Our new review brings together the international evidence about the relationship between fathers' mental health and children's development for the first time.
We found consistent associations between dads' psychological distress before and after birth and poorer outcomes in children's social, emotional, cognitive, language and physical development, from birth until the early teens.
The good news? There are effective ways to intervene early.
Barriers to getting help
There are complex reasons why new fathers might not access help for mental distress.
Notably, a 2024 review of Australian and international research found fathers are not routinely asked in health-care settings about their wellbeing at any point before the birth of a child, or after - when support is often most needed .
Men may also feel they need to be strong and push past tough emotions to "get on" with looking after the family.
They may be reluctant to acknowledge their own difficulties, and instead avoid the issue , through strategies such as working excessively, or using alcohol or other drugs.
Working hours can also make accessing services difficult .
As a result, men may have trouble recognising mental distress and it may go undetected by the people around them and in the wider health-care system.
We don't know the true impact
Research on early risk factors for poorer child development is around 17 times more likely to focus on mothers' health and lifestyle, compared to fathers.
This focus is understandable, given up to one in five women experience perinatal anxiety or depression in the transition to motherhood.
Strong evidence links mothers' mental distress to poorer child outcomes. For example, mothers experiencing perinatal anxiety or depression may withdraw and find it difficult to interact with their child. This may be linked to delays in children's developing social and emotional skills.
Yet similar research on fathers has been lacking.
This imbalance affects health policy and clinical practice, leaving many fathers feeling excluded from family health care . The impact on their children has also been poorly understood.
What we looked at
Our new research aimed to understand how men's mental health before and after birth is related to their child's development, from birth through adolescence.
We looked at the findings from 84 longitudinal studies which track people over long periods of time, including from Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.
The review included any study that measured an association between perinatal depression, anxiety or stress in fathers (biological or adoptive) and child development. These included social and emotional skills, thinking and problem-solving, language, physical development and motor skills.
Our study had three main findings
First, mental distress in fathers during pregnancy and after birth was consistently linked to poorer development in their children.
Specifically, this included lower ratings on social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills, such as the capacity to interact with others, understand feelings, process information and communicate. It also affected physical health outcomes, such as body weight, sleep and eating patterns.
Second, associations were evident from early development (infancy) through to the early teens (13 years). This suggests that, without support, a father's perinatal mental distress may be related to child development well beyond infancy.
Third, fathers' mental distress after birth was more strongly related to how children developed than their mental distress during pregnancy.
This is not surprising, because it's when fathers begin to interact with infants and may more directly influence their development.
So, what should change?
Our findings underscore that getting in early to support dads - both before and soon after the arrival of a new child - is crucial.
Routine screening for signs of mental distress is effective in identifying mothers who might benefit from help. This could be extended to all parents, through family planning, antenatal and postpartum clinics, and GP check-ups.
Research shows 80% of men see a GP or allied health practitioner in the year before having a baby. Asking about other aspects of wellbeing - such as sleep quality - can be an effective and non-stigmatising way to ease into conversations about mental health.
This can help connect men with support services earlier, to improve their health and their children's.
What should men look out for?
Studies suggest men may often express their distress through relationship strain, rather than sadness. They may also report self-harm, suicidal ideation and feeling isolated.
Common signs a new dad might be struggling with mental health include :
- fatigue
- sleep problems
- difficulty concentrating
- racing heart
- sweating
- muscle tension
- changes in appetite
- feeling worried or out of control
- irritability
- anger
- increased use of alcohol or other drugs.
Is there support?
Options for men who want more support include counselling, peer group support and online apps that use mindfulness and cognitive behaviour therapy to help manage moods.
For fathers needing more immediate support, crisis support services offer 24/7 live counselling via chat, telephone or video:
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you're concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency in Australia, call triple 0.
Delyse Hutchinson receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Jacqui Macdonald receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council's Medical Research Future Fund and the Australian Research Council. She convenes the Australian Fatherhood Research Consortium and she is on the Movember Global Men's Health Advisory Committee.
Samantha Teague receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Genevieve Le Bas and Stephanie Aarsman do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
