Paternal perinatal mental health support: fathers' perspectives on barriers, facilitators, and preferences.

Fern S Copland, Simon C Hunter
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The perinatal period is a time of increased vulnerability to psychological distress. Paternal mental wellbeing is linked to both maternal and child wellbeing. Paternal mental health problems are common in the perinatal period. Men, however, report a lack of therapeutic support. This study focused on the experiences of fathers with poor mental health during the perinatal period, who had a biological child under the age of two and a half, and explored their perceptions of barriers and facilitators to, and preferred sources of, mental health support. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eight participants and an experiential thematic analysis conducted. Three main themes were identified; "Fathers are not the priority (sub-themes of "Deprioritised", "Masculinity"), "The perinatal period is unique" (sub-themes of "Needing to be prepared", "Stretched resources", "Disconnection from partner") and "Dad specific support" (sub-themes of "Someone to speak to", "Actively offered"). These themes identified barriers of exclusion by, and lack of information from, services, prioritisation of the mother and baby, stigma, masculine norms, and emotional, financial, and time pressure. Facilitators identified included healthcare professionals focusing on the father's mental health and providing signposting, and fathers receiving support from their partner. Participants valued opportunities for greater social connection but their preferred mental health provision was one-to-one, personalised support that was actively offered and targeted specifically at fathers. This study highlights the universal need for greater awareness of paternal mental health in the perinatal services and the necessity for accessible, appropriate, and timely support.

父亲围产期心理健康支持:父亲对障碍、促进因素和偏好的看法。
围产期是一个易受心理困扰的时期。父亲的心理健康与母亲和孩子的健康息息相关。父亲的心理健康问题在围产期很常见。然而,男性报告缺乏治疗支持。本研究的重点是心理健康状况不佳的父亲在围产期的经历,他们有一个不到两岁半的亲生孩子,并探讨他们对心理健康支持的障碍和促进因素以及首选来源的看法。对8名参与者进行了半结构化访谈,并进行了经验专题分析。确定了三个主题;“父亲不是优先考虑的对象”(“优先考虑”、“男子气概”的子主题)、“围产期是独特的”(“需要做好准备”、“资源紧张”、“与伴侣脱节”的子主题)和“爸爸特有的支持”(“有人可以倾诉”、“积极提供”的子主题)。这些主题确定了服务排斥和缺乏信息的障碍、母亲和婴儿的优先次序、耻辱、男性规范以及情感、经济和时间压力。确定的协助人员包括关注父亲心理健康并提供路标的医疗保健专业人员,以及从伴侣那里获得支持的父亲。参与者重视扩大社会联系的机会,但他们更喜欢的心理健康服务是一对一的、个性化的支持,这种支持是积极提供的,专门针对父亲。这项研究强调,普遍需要在围产期服务中提高对父亲心理健康的认识,以及提供可获得、适当和及时支持的必要性。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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CiteScore
1.90
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0.00%
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