New dads need better mental health support so they can take ‘pressure’ off mums, NHS bosses say

New fathers should receive better mental health support so they can take the ‘pressure’ off mothers, NHS chiefs have said.

The NHS in England is expanding support services for partners of women who have had a baby, testing options including face-to-face counselling, organized ‘daddy and kids’ pushchair walks and Zoom game nights.

Research shows that about one in four women experience psychological problems during pregnancy or in the postnatal period.

Up to half of the partners of mothers with postpartum depression also have depression themselves.

In a blog post, Dr Giles Berrisford, NHS England’s associate national clinical director for perinatal mental health, and chief obstetrician, Professor Jaqueline Dunkley-Bent, praised new services that “support fathers who are frightened and overwhelmed or unsure how to give their children should support’. partners’.

They wrote: ‘By [these] activities, new dads can gain confidence as parents and talk about their mental health – and this really makes a difference in how they can support moms.”

They also expressed concern about the image of mothers as “our modern superheroes” that put pressure on pregnant women and new mothers.

‘Mothers are often seen as the pillars of family life. This brings a lot of pressure and can negatively impact women,” they wrote.

‘Pregnancy and becoming a mother can be a huge challenge…

“We need to take the pressure off and support mothers, especially those dealing with depression, anxiety, psychosis and/or trauma.”

The plans to increase support for fathers in mental health care are part of a series of measures to prevent suicide in new parents.

Other plans include extending the period of women’s access to postnatal mental health care to two years after birth, rather than 12 months, and rolling out special Maternal Mental Health Services that combine services for women who are pregnant and postnatal. mental health issues, as well as those dealing with infertility, baby loss, and birth trauma.

Pregnancy and postnatal mental health problems are estimated to cost the NHS £1.2 billion a year, while costing the economy at large about £8.1 billion, largely because of the impact of mothers’ mental health problems on their children.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of maternal death in the UK. The latest figures show that the number of suicides during or up to six weeks after the end of pregnancy has tripled in 2020 compared to 2017 to 2019.

There are believed to be only four perinatal mental health services in the country providing support to partners – in Leeds, Cornwall, Nottingham and Southampton.

In Leeds – the first NHS trust to introduce a service for fathers – partners of women covered by the perinatal mental health team can access support including a monthly Zoom general knowledge quiz.

The quiz is designed to encourage dads to bond so they end up sharing their experiences.

Peer supporter Errol Murray said: ‘It’s a bit of fun, but it helps them feel distracted from what’s going on at home and helps lighten the load.

“It’s a way for men to bond and feel confident talking to other people. Unless you have that, no one will tell you how they feel.”

The service also offers face-to-face group sessions — which offer more in-depth discussions on things like how to bond with babies — and monthly “daddy and kids” park walks.

Dads can also take baby sensory classes in the NHS building, which are specifically designed to encourage dads to bond with their babies.

‘By supporting partners, we can help mothers with their recovery [from perinatal mental health conditions],” Murray added.