When New Dads Struggle

Becoming a father may be linked to increased psychological distress, which may affect their children's health too

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Ongoing studies have shown that an estimated one in 10 men experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression before and after their child is born (the perinatal period). 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.

A team of experts who recently conducted a review that brought together international evidence about the relationship between fathers' mental health and children's development for the first time, noted 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