International Fathers’ Mental Health Day 2019
17th June 2019
Today, 17th June 2019, marks International Father’s Mental Health Day (founded in 2016 by Mark Williams and Dr Daniel Singley )- raising global awareness about the need for better support systems for new fathers as well as new mothers.
‘Perinatal’ is the term that refers to the period of time leading up to and after childbirth, usually defined as the time of pregnancy up to and also including one year after giving birth. The emotional and the physiological changes of pregnancy, labour and caring for a new-born can make this period of time a very vulnerable one for new mothers and fathers.
You may have also heard terms used to describe the time before or after giving birth more specifically, such as:
There is no right or wrong term used to describe the period of time around pregnancy and after childbirth. There is also no right or wrong way to feel during these times.
Becoming a father is considered to be one of the most rewarding and exciting life experiences, but this journey into parenthood can also prove be very challenging and at times, overwhelming. It is times like becoming a parent, when support from loved ones and friends is crucial and heavily replied upon.
It has been reported, in a wealth of research, that around 10% of new fathers can experience mental health difficulties in the first year after the birth of their child. This figure can increase to a staggering 50% when the mother is suffering with mental illness herself following the birth. Parental postpartum depression is extremely hard for men to admit due to the higher levels of stigma against experiencing difficulties in early parenthood.
Society views males as more tolerant, self-sacrificing, and above all else, strong. When men feel none of those things as a new parent, it can be very difficult for them to admit it and ask for help and support.
There is very little guidance available for men to understand the causes, risk factors, treatments and prediction of perinatal mental illness- apart from the information available in how they can support their partners mental health after having a baby, but sadly, research and support in this area is still relatively thin on the ground.
Until recently, there had been no official acknowledgement that fathers (in the UK) need support for their mental health. However, after years of campaigning, we are beginning to see this change. Back in December 2018, the Government announced that new dads (whose wife/partner had been seen by/under perinatal mental health services) will now be screened in order to assess if they too require or would benefit from support. This modification, ran by NHS England, was spurred on by the evidence that fathers are more likely to need help and/or support for their own mental health if their partner was experiencing difficulties.
Thankfully, this was just the beginning! January 2019 saw the launch of the NHS’ Long-Term Plan. Included in that, for the first time, proposals were put in to support fathers’ mental health. Mark (along with Andrew Mayers) have been selected to an expert reference group to offer suggestions and advise NHS England on what these much-needed services should look like.
Support for anxious and depressed dads will be part of the 10-year plan for the NHS!
Advances such as these, have been mainly influenced by researchers and campaigners across the United Kingdom, but the tireless work of both Mark and Andrew through campaigns such as International Father’s Mental Health Day has played a huge role.
Let’s keep the awareness building today and every day, until all new dads have all the necessary support and help that they need.
Know that it is ok not to be ok. Talk. Seek help and get support.
There is strength in showing weakness.
Mark Williams – Fathers Reaching Out
Mark is the UK’s leading advocate for fathers’ mental health. Mark’s wife encountered mental illness not long after the birth of their son. Mark had little support, and feared that he could not talk to anyone about his wife’s illness (due to the possibility of associated stigma). Without support, Mark’s own mental health subsequently suffered too. Now, armed with that experience, Mark creates and runs campaigns, writes blogs/articles, and provides much needed support to fathers experiencing mental health difficulties themselves.