--- title: "Fathers' perinatal mental health needs: qualitative insights from North East England and North Cum" id: "bmj-open-6-understanding-fathers-perinatal-mental-health-and-well-being-support-needs-a" canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-6-understanding-fathers-perinatal-mental-health-and-well-being-support-needs-a" content_type: "clinical_feed_article" specialty: "General" source_name: "BMJ Open" source_url: "http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/16/9/e121953?rss=1" published_at: "2026-09-04T11:29:48.000Z" evidence_level: "Journal Feed" license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use" --- # Fathers' perinatal mental health needs: qualitative insights from North East England and North Cum ## Provenance & Clinical Metadata - **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-6-understanding-fathers-perinatal-mental-health-and-well-being-support-needs-a - **Specialty:** [General](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/general.md) - **Primary Source:** BMJ Open - **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/16/9/e121953?rss=1) - **Published At:** 2026-09-04T11:29:48.000Z - **Evidence Rating:** Journal Feed ## Executive GIST (TL;DR) - This qualitative study examined how the transition to fatherhood affects **fathers' mental health** and emotional well-being, focusing on experiences and support needs during the perinatal period. - The study population included 21 fathers and nine professionals from voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) and social care services across North East and North Cumbria (NENC), a total of 30 participants. - Data were collected using in-depth semistructured interviews and focus groups and analysed via reflexive thematic analysis. - Analysis produced two primary themes: “The Pregnant and Postnatal Man” and “Removing the cloak of fatherhood invisibility,” with five subthemes highlighting isolation and limited emotional support. - Findings emphasise fathers’ experiences of exclusion, isolation, and restricted access to emotional support within existing perinatal services. - Professionals and fathers reported that lack of father-inclusive practice in maternity, health, and social care contributes to unmet support needs. - The study identifies potential benefits of greater father inclusion in antenatal education, perinatal services, and policy to improve recognition and support. - Authors recommend adopting a **whole family** emotional support approach in perinatal services to recognise fathers’ emotional well-being and to support positive family transitions. - Specific service- or policy-level interventions were not detailed in the source article; the report focuses on participants’ perspectives and thematic conclusions. ## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points Objectives The transition into fatherhood is considered a profound life stage, involving personal development, lifestyle and emotional adjustments. Fathers' mental health can be adversely impacted by this transition. Fathers express isolation, exclusion and limited support within perinatal services. Restricted emotional support for fathers presents negative consequences for the whole family dynamic. Limited research has explored father and professional input associated with paternal perinatal support and how healthcare services and child and family services can respond to engaging fathers and their mental and emotional support needs. This qualitative study aims to explore fathers' mental health and well-being experiences (referring to emotional or/and social well-being) and support needs within the perinatal period, as well as current viewpoints of perinatal services (maternity, healthcare and social care services) from both fathers' and professionals' perspectives. Design In-depth semistructured interviews and focus groups were carried out as part of a qualitative study. Setting Fathers' resident within the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) and services and organisations from the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and social care services across the NENC, who associate with supporting families and children, and perinatal mental health. Participants Fathers (n=21) and professionals (VCSE and social care services) (n=9). Results Reflexive thematic analysis of 30 participants' accounts identified two main themes and five subthemes: (1) 'The Pregnant and Postnatal Man' and (2) Removing the cloak of fatherhood invisibility. These themes centred around the isolation of fathers and limited emotional and mental support within the parenting transition. Conclusions The findings suggest that greater father inclusion within perinatal services, policies and antenatal education may help fathers feel more recognised and supported throughout the perinatal journey. Recognition of fathers' emotional well-being and mental health, by adopting a 'whole family' emotional support approach within perinatal services was considered important to support fathers and the family dynamic in facilitating a positive transition for the whole family. ## Related Clinical Research - [Standardised Patient Teaching and Medical Students' Clinical Reasoning: Systematic Review Protocol](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-1-impact-of-the-standardised-patient-teaching-method-on-medical-students-clinical.md) - [Pregnant women's experiences in Maternity Waiting Homes in Ari zone, Ethiopia: a qualitative study](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-8-experiences-of-pregnant-women-staying-in-a-maternity-waiting-home-at-ari-zone.md) - [Post-occupancy evaluation of former residences of celebrities in Yangzhou using online reviews and](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/plos-one-2-post-occupancy-evaluation-of-former-residences-of-celebrities-in-yangzhou-based.md) - [Kurort Health Walking in a Forest: Short-Term Physiological and Psychological Effects](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/plos-one-3-physiological-and-psychological-outcomes-of-a-community-based-kurort-health.md) - [Readers’ reactions: M.D. vs D.O., AI and physician autonomy, surrogacy, postpartum psychiatry, and](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/stat-news-0-opinion-what-stat-readers-think-about-m-d-vs-d-o-ai-in-medicine-surrogacy-and.md) ## Navigation - [← Back to General Feed](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/general.md) - [← All Clinical Specialties](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed.md) ## Medical & Regulatory Disclaimer > [!CAUTION] > MedicHelpline content is structured for research, educational, and professional discovery purposes. 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