New Fathers, Mental Health and Digital Communication

1. Paternal perinatal mental health is a significant yet overlooked issue

A meta-survey of 43 studies across 16 countries in 2010 suggested 10% of men suffer depression between the first trimester of their partner's pregnancy and the end of the first year after birth, but that the figure for fathers between 3 and 6 months after birth is significantly higher, at 26% (Paulson and Bazemore 2010).

Prevalence and impact. Paternal perinatal mental health difficulties are more common than widely recognized:

• 10% of fathers experience depression during pregnancy or within the first year after birth
• Up to 26% of fathers may experience depression 3-6 months postpartum
• Compared to average rate of 5% for depression in men across a typical year

These difficulties can have significant consequences:

• Harmful effects on fathers' wellbeing
• Negative impact on relationships and families
• Potential developmental issues for children

Contributing factors. Various circumstances can lead to paternal mental health struggles:

• Traumatic births or difficult pregnancies
• Changes in identity and responsibilities
• Social isolation and disconnection from support networks
• Intense everyday pressures and sleep deprivation
• Partner's mental health difficulties

2. Fathers struggle with marginal positioning and restrictive masculine roles

Notwithstanding limited signs of change, fathers can continue to be positioned as marginal support figures by under-resourced health services and other sources of assistance and information (Salzmann-Erikson and Eriksson 2013).

Peripheral positioning. Fathers often find themselves on the margins of perinatal processes:

• Viewed primarily as supporters rather than full participants
• Limited preparation for the challenges of fatherhood
• Minimal focus on fathers' experiences and wellbeing

Masculine expectations. Societal norms impose restrictive roles on new fathers:

• Pressure to be stoic, strong, and emotionally resilient
• Expected to provide unwavering support without needing support themselves
• Struggle to reconcile vulnerability with perceived masculine ideals

This combination of marginalization and restrictive masculinity creates a challenging environment for fathers to navigate their own emotional needs and mental health concerns during the perinatal period.

3. Repertoires of illegitimacy hamper fathers' support-seeking behaviors

Consistent with this, while all UK new mothers are routinely screened for mental health difficulties, routine checks were not carried out on new fathers until 2018 when some screening was introduced, but only where the mother had been diagnosed with depression (NHS 2019).

Internalized scripts. Fathers often develop repertoires of illegitimacy:

• Perceiving their own struggles as invalid or unimportant
• Downplaying their difficulties in comparison to their partners'
• Feeling guilty for needing support when they should be providing it

Barriers to help-seeking. These internalized scripts create significant obstacles:

• Delayed recognition of mental health problems
• Reluctance to disclose struggles to partners, family, or healthcare providers
• Prolonged suffering in silence before seeking professional help

The lack of routine mental health screening for new fathers reinforces these repertoires of illegitimacy, making it even more challenging for men to acknowledge and address their perinatal mental health needs.

4. Digital communication offers agentic possibilities for struggling fathers

Consistent with existing literature on information-seeking by mental illness sufferers (e.g. Aref-Adib et al. 2016; Schrank et al. 2010) they had often found that the anonymity and accessibility of such online learning could render it a comparatively small-scale, simple and risk-free means to 'do something' (also see Powell and Clarke 2006).

Spectrum of engagement. Fathers utilize digital communication in various ways:

• Information seeking and learning about paternal mental health
• Connecting with other fathers experiencing similar struggles
• Distraction and temporary escape from difficulties
• Tentative attempts at self-disclosure and support-seeking

Benefits of online engagement:

• Anonymity and reduced stigma
• Accessibility and convenience
• Control over level of interaction and disclosure
• Opportunity for peer support and shared experiences

Digital platforms provide fathers with agentic possibilities to navigate their mental health challenges, offering a range of engagement options that can feel safer and more accessible than traditional support avenues.

5. Affective coding: A hidden form of emotional self-disclosure online

We term affective coding. Through this term we infer a form of affectively loaded, digital social steganography—or the hiding of messages in plain sight—as a means to convey affectively loaded digital hints to others as to their mental health situation without disclosing explicitly.

Subtle communication strategies. Affective coding involves:

• Sharing articles or posts related to mental health without explicit personal commentary
• Using platform features (e.g., likes, shares) to signal struggles indirectly
• Crafting ambiguous status updates that hint at difficulties

Motivations and significance:

• Balancing the need for support with fear of full disclosure
• Testing the waters for potential supportive responses
• Exerting agency in a limited way when overt disclosure feels too risky

Affective coding represents a nuanced form of digital communication that allows fathers to tentatively reach out for support while maintaining a degree of emotional protection and control over their self-disclosure.

6. Networked intimacies provide valuable support for fathers

A wide array of practices working within, with and sometimes against the architecture of platforms mediated not just new ties, but also, in countless subtle ways, enabled disclosure and progressed intimacies in existing ties, spilling across the online and the offline, and traversing boundaries and binaries.

Diverse connections. Fathers develop a tapestry of intimate ties:

• Strengthening existing relationships through digital communication
• Forming new supportive connections with fellow struggling fathers
• Engaging in fleeting but meaningful interactions with strangers online

Benefits of networked intimacies:

• Safe spaces for emotional disclosure and vulnerability
• Mutual understanding and shared experiences
• Reduced isolation and increased sense of belonging
• Opportunities for both giving and receiving support

These networked intimacies, facilitated by digital platforms, provide fathers with valuable emotional resources and support systems as they navigate their perinatal mental health challenges.

7. Structural changes are needed to support fathers' mental health

There are possibilities to alleviate this by addressing the ways new fathers are informed and prepared and tackling the significant invitations within institutions and structures of the perinatal for them to remain on the margins as stoic, masculine supporters.

Shifting societal perspectives. Necessary changes include:

• Recognizing fathers as full participants in the perinatal process
• Challenging restrictive masculine norms around fatherhood
• Increasing awareness of paternal mental health issues

Institutional reforms. Key areas for improvement:

• Incorporating fathers more fully in antenatal classes and appointments
• Providing targeted information and support for paternal mental health
• Implementing routine mental health screening for new fathers

Professional training. Healthcare providers need:

• Education on paternal perinatal mental health issues
• Skills to engage fathers and address their emotional needs
• Awareness of the unique challenges faced by new fathers

Structural changes across societal, institutional, and professional levels are essential to create an environment that supports fathers' mental health and wellbeing during the perinatal period.

8. Policy recommendations to address paternal perinatal mental health

New fathers should be informed about the possibility of paternal mental health difficulties via a variety of sites and channels, so they are able to anticipate challenges, recognise symptoms and know where to find support.

Comprehensive approach. Policy recommendations include:

• Integrating fathers into perinatal mental health frameworks and resource allocation
• Implementing routine mental health screening for all new fathers
• Developing targeted information campaigns about paternal mental health

Support systems. Establish and promote:

• Dedicated support groups and services for struggling fathers
• Training for healthcare professionals on engaging with and supporting fathers
• Digital resources and platforms tailored to paternal mental health needs

Research and awareness. Prioritize:

• Continued research on paternal perinatal mental health
• Public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and promote help-seeking
• Evaluation of interventions and support strategies for effectiveness

Implementing these policy recommendations would significantly improve the recognition, prevention, and treatment of paternal perinatal mental health difficulties, benefiting fathers, families, and society as a whole.